


The Enemy Within (AC)

by DeepSeaChallenger



Category: Assassin's Creed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-13
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-03-30 07:46:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 65
Words: 100,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3928723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepSeaChallenger/pseuds/DeepSeaChallenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abstergo has done the impossible.<br/>They have found a way to reach into a specific memory, and pull the subject from their time zone, from the 'then' to the 'now'. Using a select few Assassins (And Templars) they intend to get answers to the questions Animus or their unwilling employees are unable to solve.<br/>The Assassins and Templars don't know each other- they are unaware of their bloodlines with the others. Somehow, they have to escape Abstergo and get back to their own time zones, before the company begins to grow desperate.<br/>But just because they're being chased by people armed with guns, lawyers, and soda cans does not mean they can't explore their new surroundings.</p><p>====<br/>I don't own Assassin's Creed or its characters- they belong to Ubisoft.<br/>====<br/>Forget the release date of October this year. Jacob Frye will also be a character, despite limited knowledge of him and Syndicate. He's an Assassin too, you know :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning, this story may take a little while to read. :)

"How are the subjects faring?" The supervisor of the operation tapped the two-way glass and almost laughed as Altaïr jumped and stared at the 'wall'.  
"Quite well. They show no side affects aside from the minor.... curiosity." The tech said, pointing to Altaïr as he stood up on the bed and tried to touch the small light fixture.  
"Good." The supervisor nodded. "We'll need their brains intact. I'm going to see the other few."  
"Understood, should we feed him now? I think he's probably hungry." The tech said, eyeing him. The supervisor nodded.  
"Yeah, just toss in some bread. I don't think any of them can stomach a burger."

***  
The strange bed with its unrealistically soft fabric.  
The otherwise bare room, save the tapping noise on the wall, to which he had been surprised to hear.  
And that little sun that burned against his fingers when he tried to touch it.  
He sat back and studied his hand, his hood, his boots. This was too real to be a dream, too real to be anything but reality.  
So where was he? Whoever had managed to capture the sun had to be intelligent. Despite his daunting situation, Altaïr smirked. It was most likely an Assassin.  
The door- that somehow managed to blend in well with the white walls and floor- opened slightly and a hand threw a piece of bread in, followed by what seemed to be water.  
Altaïr tore into the bread and marveled at the small, clear container holding the water. A white cap that appeared to be made of warm ice kept it inside, and it took him a few attempts before he finally opened it. When he finished the water he studied the container, wondering what made it clear.  
He had just been sleeping in Masyaf, dreaming about he-already-forgot. Now he was here, in this strange room with this small sun and the clear container.  
Altaïr was rather excited about the sun and the container.

***  
Arno did not like wondering where he was.  
He had kicked off the covers and jumped from the bed, immediately throwing both fists up.  
All that greeted him was the dull white room, stark against his dark clothes. His weapons were gone; what a lovely situation this was turning out to b-  
Why wasn't the room as dark as it should have been?  
There were not candles, and the only light source he could sense was coming from.... Wait. What? Arno tilted his head and stared slack jawed at the miniature sun that wavered and brightened periodically above him, built into the roof. He immediately looked away as bright spots began to fill his eyes, and when he blinked he saw colors imprinted in his eyelids.  
A door he had previously failed to notice opened, followed by a piece of bread and a clear contained of water.  
Arno scarfed the bread down and stared at the water, unsure if it was safe to drink. He was pretty sure it was made of glass, until he picked it up and it began to make strange popping and cracking noises.  
Deciding it didn't matter, he opened the container and drained it, marveling how similar it was to a bottle.  
That was it.  
Maybe he was drunk, or had been before falling a asleep and ending up...  
He blinked and looked around the room, then back at the sun.  
Here. Before he ended up here.

***  
Edward was not one to be fucked with.  
The white room, the little.... lantern torch thing that burned above his head and caused brilliant marks in his eyes was strange enough, but clear, crunchy bottles?  
He kicked the container around, cringing when he heard it smack against the wall. The bread had tasted odd enough, but this was just strange. Clear containers and miniature suns. He laughed.  
He really was drunk.

***  
Ezio sat up, blinking.  
The white room was blindingly bright and when he looked up he swore he had seen some sort of fire above his head. And the sheets.  
He ran his hand over the white covers of the bed and was surprised if was so soft. This was strange; and extremely suspicious. He was likely just having a dream.  
He hoped it was a dream.  
And then the bread and.... apparently that was water in that clear little contained with the oddly colored cap that felt odd.  
This was definitely a dream.

***

"Sir, when do the interrogations start?"  
"As soon as they've all come to their senses." The supervisor grimaced as Edward kicked the bottle against the wall again. "And tell him to stop doing that! For God's sake, how hard do you have to kick the damn thing?"  
The tech nodded to the intercom manager and he leaned forward, holding the button.  
"I'd advise you not do that, Mr. Kenway."  
Edward froze, looking toward the wall with wide blue eyes. At first he seemed surprised by the voice, then he walked over to the wall with the one-way glass and rapped it with his knuckles, one side of his mouth turned down.  
"This is going to be difficult, Kyle." The tech sighed. "It's like we're teaching primates how to use a phone."  
"I know." The supervisor replied. "Arno is probably the most well off, though. Connor is next on the list to be pulled from his time, right?"  
"Tomorrow. We have his room all set up. The day after that is Jacob Frye, I think.... I'll get that sorted out with the brass. The sedatives don't stay in their systems once they've been Warped, so we'll have to make Connor's transition snappy."  
"Alright, alright, that's enough. Someone needs to tell them the lights are not miniature suns." The supervisor threw his hands up as Ezio nearly fell off the bed he was balanced on, holding his eyes. "They're going to kill themselves over those things."  
"Like teaching primates." The tech reminded him with a grin.


	2. Chapter 2

"I see the subjects are faring well."  
"Mostly. Arno and Ezio are so far expressing boredom, and Altaïr is still fascinated with the light fixture." The tech motioned to Altaïr through the one way glass as the Assassin repeatedly tried to study the light up close. "And Edward-"  
She cringed as the pirate kicked the bottle against the wall again. "He's still-"  
"Kicking that damn bottle, I know." The supervisor growled. "Someone needs to tell him it's just bottled water-"  
"Sir...?" A voice crackled over the intercom, stopping all motion within the observation room. "Subject 12, uh, Connor, is it?"  
In the background, someone swore in a language that was not French or English.  
"It's Connor, why?"  
"We miscalculated the dose; he's pissed-"  
The intercom clicked off.  
"Damn it! Vincent and Alfred, go help them get Connor into his room. Bring the tranquilizers. Low dose; what's already in his system just needs some help. Now!" He barked, when no one moved.

***  
Edward frowned at the wall.  
Unlike the rest of the walls and the door, it made a noise when he kicked the bottle against it. A hollow boom. That was unsusual; if he was correct it meant there was nothing behind it. He picked up the bottle and hurled it against the wall again. It exploded, dousing him with cold water.  
"That's enough of that, Kenway." The voice he had heard before spoke from nowhere, and this time he was ready for it.  
"Show yourself! Instead of hiding behind your- your...." He couldn't think of a word to describe it. He was certain another human was talking to him; he just didn't know how, aside from magic. But magic didn't exist, unless he had really had his share of rum.  
"This is called an intercom."  
"Inter- what the fuck are your trying to tell me?" Edward stared at the wall that made the hollow noise and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. That wasn't right. Talking rooms and hollow walls.  
How much had he had to drink?

***  
"Get that away from me." He had just been peacefully sleeping in a tree, safe from the soldiers he had escaped that night, and suddenly he was here, drowsy but alive, in this strange world. It was dark; it had been since the people in odd clothes had pulled him from the.... whatever that was.... and tried to carry him somewhere else.  
Now here was another person, a woman, brandishing a small needle-like tool. It was filled with clear liquid, and the tip looked like it was made for making a precise incision.  
"Connor, it's just something to help you sleep."  
He tried to wrench his arms away from the men holding him down, to no avail. "I don't need to sleep. Let me go. Tell me what's going on."  
"Just a dream, Connor. We just need to ask you some questions, and then you'll wake up."  
He nodded to her, still suspicious.  
"Now, are you willing to go to sleep?"  
"No."  
"Hold out his arm."  
"Did you not hear me, woman? I said no!" Connor began to grow desperate, thrashing in the four mens' powerful grip. The woman stepped closer to his arm, and gave him an apologetic look.  
Something pinched his skin and he yowled, taking his arm free just as she withdrew the... needle? It looked just like the sewing needles his people made from the bones of deer. He kicked and was about to start trying to run, when his brain and vision began to fade to black....

***  
Altaïr could not get over the miniature sun.  
Long after he grew tired of the clear water container, he was still entranced by its light, which wavered and flickered at unpredictable times. It was a fascinating thing to watch; until he realized he couldn't see clearly anymore, his vision was swarmed with the small dancing shapes.  
Altaïr tried multiple times to stand on the bed and touch it, feeling its heat even from a distance. It was a marvelous thing, and he wondered who had captured the power of the sun in such a small trap.  
Surely, it was an Assassin.

***  
The strange sun and clear bottle had only held his attention for so long before he flopped back onto the bed, sighing in discontent. Something wasn't right; Arno was sure. This was not a waking dream, not a dream, not even a drunken hallucination. He squinted at the sun and looked away as spots began to dance in his eyes. Now he was just bored. Nothing to see, no one to fight, no one to...  
Elise wasn't even here.  
Arno worried she missed him, or- and here he refused to think it was a possibility- maybe she hadn't noticed his absence at all.  
Arno pulled his hood over his eyes and tried to sleep, confusion tugging at his mind.

***  
Could he... could he eat it?  
Ezio stared at the empty container with round eyes, wondering if he could. Hunger was already knawing at his stomach; the water had long since been drained from it. Maybe he could.  
He studied it carefully, then opened his mouth to bite it-  
"That's not a good idea, Ezio."  
He jerked back, the container falling from his grasp as he pushed himself into a defensive position.  
"Who said that?"  
The came no reply, and instead his eyes darted around the room. No sign of a person. The room was an even white except for the door, which was only a very slight shade of gray. He kept his pose rigid, ready for someone to come through the door.

***  
"Into the second to last room." The supervisor said, gesturing to the room. The four men- and woman- hauled Connor into the room, placing him gently on the bed. They slipped out, so as not to stir the unconscious young man.  
"Won't age affect their behaviors, especially toward each other when they're introduced?" A tech asked.  
"Yeah, maybe. Connor is nineteen, Edward is twenty-two, Ezio is twenty-four, Arno is twenty-nine, and Altaïr is twenty-five."  
"Twenty-five? You realize that's among his most...."  
"Arrogant years, yes. Jacob Frye, the memory we're taking him from, he's somewhere in his twenties."  
"That age relation is going to drive a rift between them when we get them together. What will happen when they go back to their memories?"  
"We've got a serum to prevent their remembering, just before they enter the Warp and head back." The supervisor responded, studying Altaïr as he again attempted to study the light fixture.  
"I swear, they're acting like idiots." The tech rolled his eyes.  
"The shrinks said it's to be expected. Arno and Jacob will probably be most suited for this."  
"Maybe."  
"You don't think it will work, Lucien?"  
"Nah." The tech sighed. "What do you think? Will Abstergo get the answers they want?"  
"Hope so."


	3. Chapter 3

"Now what?"  
"A slight complication came up with Jacob Frye-"  
The supervisor rolled his eyes and glared at the one way glass. All the Assassins were fully awake and had been given food and water; all seemed bored except for Altaïr and Connor. Both were equally entranced with the damn light fixtures.  
"What did you do now? Forget to disarm him?"  
"Uh, well, that's the point. No one checked the exact memory we're pulling him from, and... uh... how should I put this?"  
The supervisor and everyone in the observation room glared at the intercom microphone. "Out with it, Nathan."  
"He's drunk, sir."  
"For fuck's sake, don't sedate him, then. Bring him into the last room. Make sure he's completely disarmed; the guy's a walking fortress."  
"Yes, sir."  
The intercom clicked off, and the supervisor did everything he could to avoid smacking everyone upside the head. This project was supposed to be the silent, underground operation everyone imagined in the movies. So far the Assassins had come quiet save Connor and now... what was his name, Jacob Frye, was apparently intoxicated. What the hell kind of memory had the brass chosen?  
The door to the last room opened and two men- it was rather funny, both were shorter than Jacob by quite a bit- supported Jacob, placing him onto the bed. The Assassin watched them go with clouded eyes, a look of contempt on his face.  
"Don't feed him tonight," A tech told him. "Drunkards can't stomach anything."  
"I can see that." The supervisor growled.  
He was getting fed up with the mistakes people were making.

***  
Ah, yes. He'd been drinking with Evie and a few of his friends. Of course he was dreaming.  
His mind felt so blank and dull that when he finally dragged his gaze up to the... what the hell was that? Was that... was that a miniature sun? Jacob blinked and frowned, entranced by the glow. Then spots began to swarm his swimming vision and he had to look away. Evie, where was she? She had less of a habit of drinking than he did, and so far she'd made no appearance in this dream.  
Jacob lay back again the bed and pulled his hat low over his face. Something was definately off about this dream, though. He was completely disarmed. No brass knuckles- oh, how he loved those- no cane, no Hidden Blades. He didn't have the Kukri he always carried. Maybe Evie had disarmed him so he didn't hurt anyone while he was drunk.  
Who was he kidding? Evie knew better than to take his weapons.  
This was turning out to be a strange dream.

***  
That little light.  
Connor couldn't rip his gaze away, and that was to say the least of it. It reminded him of the sun. Just like the little container of water, with its ice-colored cap. He stood up on the bed and touched the sun, jerking his hand away when it burned his fingers. He felt something solid, despite the heat. Was it made of glass? Did something power it?  
He sighed and got off the bed, to analyze the clear container. The water had been drained from it; by now it was just a thin container of.... glass, probably. He flicked his gaze to the grayish door. At least maybe he had a weapon, despite the crumbly attribute of the glass.  
Maybe it wasn't glass.

***  
Edward sat on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Hours of doing nothing. Most likely days. It felt like days. He lifted his head and studied the four containers by the door. Four times someone had tossed in food and water for him. Twice he had been spoken to.  
This was getting intensly boring.

***  
Altaïr stared at the miniature sun.  
He had long given up anything to do with it; he just wanted to sit back and study it. Even the clear containers held no attraction for him; they lay discarded by the foot of the bed, empty. No one but whoever was feeding him had spoken, come into the room, or even made any action to make their presence known. He was beginning to think he was completely alone, save the small sun that flickered and brightened above his head.  
At least he had the Assassin-made sun.

***  
Arno tried everything.  
He banged his head against the wall, shouted into the room, smashed the clear bottles made of crumbly material. He tried to touch the sun and he tried to see how long he could stare at it. There was so little to do he felt like trying to pry his way out of the gray door. But- and he realized this too late- he was disarmed. No weapons. He clicked his tongue, looking back toward the sun. When he had touched it, he had felt the felt something hard, almost like glass. What if he punched it, or smacked it with his boot?  
It was worth a try.  
He pulled off one of his boots and stood on the bed, eying the sun. One.... two.... three.  
Arno swung the tip of the boot into the sun, and with a loud crack something shattered.  
The room went dark, and he heard a loud curse resonate from behind the front wall.  
Stupidity aside; it was rather fun.

***  
Ezio had long since stopped trying to eat the bottle.  
He sat on the bed, trying to meditate. But that damn sun, and those damn clear containers were so odd...  
He had to see what he could do with it.  
He kicked the containers around, threw them against the wall (Being empty, he found them extremely difficult to throw) and tried to eat the white caps. No luck there; he had been warned against that again.  
But why not?

***  
"You're fucking with me." The supervisor gaped at the room Arno was in. "Did he seriously just-"  
"Break the light." The tech observed. "We can replace it, but we'll have to use one of them energy conservation ones. You know, the swirly ones that glow bluish?"  
"Yeah, I know." The supervisor rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Do we have another alternative?"  
The tech shrugged, a placid look on his face. "We haven't got long to wait before Jacob Frye's drink wears off. Then the interrogations start, right? So it's either this, or give him a glow stick."  
"Just.... give him the damn glow stick."  
"Yes, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that, my friend, is how Arno will come by a glow stick. Curiosity doesn't kill Assassins. Also, I know enough of Jacob Frye and his sister to do a fic on them.


	4. Chapter 4

Even though the room was dark- he had just destroyed the sun! Against all odds, the very sun was gone!- Arno heard the door open, saw a hand toss a small green stick into the room. It was difficult to see in the dark, and it rolled around when he tried to grab it.  
"Bend it in half when you finally get a hold of it." A tired voice said.  
Arno straightened and looked around, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the stick. Alright. Bend it in half.  
He picked it up and studied it. It was in a clear plastic container, like the bottle before, and a greenish liquid sloshed around inside.  
He shrugged and slowly bent it in half, watching with wide eyes as it lit up a brilliant green color with a loud crack.  
"What the hell!" He dropped it and flattened himself against the wall, staring at it.  
"It's a fucking glowstick, you idiot." The voice growled again. "You probably won't even need it. Interrogations begin in an hour."  
Arno stared at the 'glow stick'. Sorcery. It had to be sorcery.  
He picked it up, surprised that it was cool to the touch, despite the light it gave off. He waved it around, fascinated by the green streaks it left in the dark.  
Then the door opened, and his world was silent before he could even ask if there were more 'glowsticks'.

***  
Edward was not getting shot by that odd looking rifle.  
He darted around the room, as the person- dressed in odd looking clothes- shot at him. The door was shut, had been since she entered and pressed her back against it before he could peer out. Where they bullets- or were they blow darts?- struck the wall, they left a bright pink tip, attached to metal rod.  
"Come on, it'll put you to sleep. Aren't you tired?" She groaned, taking aim at him again.  
Edward froze and stared at her finger, waiting for the twitch when she let loose another dart.  
"I am not getting hit by that sleep dart." He grunted, throwing himself on the floor to avoid the dart.  
At last she cornered him against the wall, the rifle nearly an inch away from his chest.  
"Too bad."  
Darkness enveloped his vision as something pricked his collarbone.

***  
"What is that?" Connor analyzed the gun the oddly dressed man was holding, with wide eyes.  
"Just a small thing to help you sleep."  
"That's what the woman said." Connor replied, raising his fist. "I will ask you once to put it down."  
"Just doin' my job."  
"Once."  
"Just doin' my job." The man shot him with a dart before Connor could jump out of the way.

***  
Altaïr backed away, pressing himself against the wall. "No."  
"Come on. Aren't you tired?"  
His eyes ached from staring at the sun, but no, he was not tired, and he wanted the oddly dressed woman to know that. "I am not tired!"  
"Altaïr, this is just like one of those sleep darts. They'll just make you feel like you want to sleep, alright?"  
"Keep it away from me." He sidestepped the dart as it hit the wall. The strange weapon was bad enough; the very fact that it shot things at him made it ten times worse.  
Another Assassin invention, probably.  
He failed to see the next dart before it was embedded in his neck.

***  
Ezio pranced around the room, dodging the darts coming from the strange stick with ease. It was rather fun.  
"The one idiot who ate a bottle cap can dodge a few darts." The man observed, aiming at him again. "Impressive."  
"It didn't taste good." Ezio ducked before he collided right into the next dart, although his rear ended up facing the man in strange clothes with the strange stick.  
He yelped in pain as the dart struck home, sending him into a peaceful dream.

***  
Jacob Frye did not like it when people aimed guns at him. It was a strange looking rifle, but it was rifle, that much he knew, and he did not like the odd darts that shot from it.  
"It'll help you sleep, you've been hit by a dart before." The man holding it observed.  
"And I didn't like it." Jacob tried to avoid the next one before it nicked his hand.  
The man pulled the trigger again, sending a dart into Jacob's side.  
"Camp more." He laughed, as the Assassin slumped onto the bed, his eyes closing.

***  
"This is not funny." The supervisor shot a look to one of the techs who covered her mouth with a hand to hide her chuckles. "These idiots are so difficult to dart and tag. If we're going to get them all to the interrogation room, we need them to come drugged."  
"Sir, they've all been darted, everyone's asleep."  
"Make sure Ezio doesn't eat another bottle cap, and make sure Arno keeps that glow stick. From what I've seen, he likes to bash in lights. Keep Altaïr away from the light fixture, and don't even think about giving Connor anything resembling a weapon. This includes pencils and forks. Don't allow Jacob near any wallets or cash, chances are he'll try and take it. Don't let Edward near anything alcoholic or give him anything he'll think he can kick against walls for hours. Am I clear?"  
"Alright." The techs in the room nodded.  
"Let's head to the interrogation room while the extraction team works on getting them out safely."


	5. Chapter 5

Altaïr awoke in a white walled room with a blue carpet, on what he guessed was a bag of sand covered with bright yellow leather. To his left there was a granite counter, and across from him, a clear door, through which he saw several people wearing the same clothes as before speaking. To his right there were five other men, all wearing odd clothes.  
Altaïr looked up, toward the source of the....  
Why the hell was the light the miniature sun giving off blue?  
Fire was not blue.  
And the sun, the sun now resembled a twisted white root, giving off a pale blue glow.  
Altaïr stood up on his sandbag and tried to touch the sun- and he almost had it, until he lost his balance.

***  
Connor did not appreciate being fallen on.  
Not while he was hunting.  
Not while he was eating.  
Not while he was sleeping.  
Especially not while he was sleeping.  
"What- get off me!" He shoved the white clad man off and sat up, looking around. The man stared at him from the floor, then straightened, flopping back against the yellow sandbag from whence he had fallen.  
"What's your name?" Connor asked slowly, not looking away.  
"Altaïr. And you?"  
Connor gawked.  
"What, are you an idiot? My name is Altaïr. Tell me yours."  
"C-Connor." He rubbed his eyes, wincing. This was easily the strangest dream he had ever had.

***  
Edward opened his eyes to the sound of voices and studied the room he was in before his eyes landed on the two next to him. One sat against a yellow sandbag, the other drummed his fingers on the side of a blue sandbag.  
"Um..." The Native- if he had it right, the man was rather young and from North America- sighed and looked at the white robed man. "Can you tell us your name?"  
"Edward...." He said blankly. "What's yours?"  
"My name is Connor. He is Altaïr."  
Altaïr cast Edward a glance and resumed staring at the miniature blue sun above them.  
"Altaïr?" Edward asked. The name sounded vaguely familiar, maybe Adéwalé or James had mentioned it to him and he was too drunk to remember.  
"Yes, Altaïr." The man said, not looking away from the sun.

***  
Ezio was beginning to regret eating that white thing.  
He gripped his cramping stomach and groaned, writhing on the strange green colored sandbag he woke up on.  
After a moment he became aware of eyes watching him, and when the pain began to lessen and his eyes cleared, he looked toward them.  
A man with blonde hair and clothes fit for the sea gazed at him with blue eyes, a thoughtful look on his face. Beside him, a man with darker skin and brown eyes watched him steadily, his lips twitching. On a yellow sandbag sat a young man wearing white tribes with a red sash around his waist and a leather strap across his stomach, gazing intently at the miniature blue sun above him.  
"Who are you?"  
"Connor." The darker skinned man beckoned to himself, then pointed to the blonde man. "Edward. The man staring at the sun is Altaïr."  
"Hm?" Altaïr looked down and blinked, a surprised expression on his face. "What?"  
"Never mind." Edward said casually. "Go back to your staring."  
Altaïr's lip curled, but he looked back at the sun.  
"What about them?" Ezio gestured to the two men sleeping beside him, one wearing dark clothes and a black hat, the other wearing navy blue accented with red, the hood pulled low over his face.  
"We don't know yet." Altaïr said. "We've got to wait for when they wake up."

***  
Arno did not want to open his eyes.  
He did not want to face Elise and apologize for his drunkenness (Judging by the way his dream had gone so far, there was probably much to apologize for) or tell her he was simply having a dream. Or a hallucination, as it were.  
"We've got to wait for them to wake up."  
Arno sighed and forced his eyes open. Was the dream still going? And did he really still have the damn 'glow stick' in his pocket?  
"I think he's awake." Another voice said.  
"Of course I'm awake." Arno snapped, staring at the men before him. Two wore the red and white of the older Assassins, one wore an untraditional sea-fitted coat, and another was donned in a white coat with blue accents.  
"Can you tell us your name?" The man in the blue accented coat stood up- He was large, despite his young appearence- and walked over, holding out a hand. Arno shook it and nodded.  
"Arno... and you?"  
Behind him, the blonde haired sea captain crept toward the man sleeping beside Arno (He wore clothes that were vastly different from everyone in the room, with a black hat made of odd material tipped so far over his head it covered his face, and Arno presumed it was the hat the blonde man was after.) with a devilish grin on his face. The man before him didn't notice, as he had his back to him.  
"That's Ezio, the one staring at the sun is Altaïr, I am Connor, and Edward- what are you doing?"  
Connor turned just as Edward's fingers closed around the brim of the hat, and he jerked his hand away, shrugging.  
"He's been sleeping too long."  
Connor gave him an unconvinced look.  
"I was just making sure he's still alive!"  
"Sure you were-"  
Edward darted forward and yanked the hat off the sleeping man's face.

***  
His mentors knew not to wake him.  
Even when he was drunk, his allies knew not to wake him.  
Evie, for fuck's sake, knew not to wake him.  
Immediately Jacob lunged forward, tackling the blonde man.  
"Give me my fucking-"  
"Hey!" A man with gold eyes and odd white and red robes pulled Jacob off the hat thief, who stared up at him, grinning arrogantly.  
"You bastard! Give it back!"  
"Alright, I'll give it back." The blonde haired man tossed it onto the orange sandbag Jacob slept on, still grinning. "Fetch."  
Jacob hissed and tried to swipe at the man, but someone caught the back of his coat and pulled him back, so easily he was lifted off his feet.  
"That's enough of this, Edward. Apologies for the rough awakening; he's rather bored. My name is Connor." The American Indian before him gave him his hat back and gestured around the room. "That's Ezio, I don't know why he's clutching his stomach. That's Altaïr; he really enjoys staring at the sun. Arno is in the corner, and you just met Edward."  
"Yeah, I did." Jacob glared at Edward, who scrambled to his feet and put up both hands.  
"And what's your name?" Arno stood up and pulled his hood down, revealing brown hair tied behind his head.  
"Jacob." He put his hat gingerly back on his head and spat at Edward before returning to his sandbag.  
"Aren't you a little ray of sunshine." The man said.  
"And aren't you a little c-"  
"Let's not go there. If those people are who I think they are, and we're all Assassins, like our clothes state...." Connor lowered his voice and motioned vaguely to the people speaking outside. "We need not be fighting amongst ourselves."  
"Who do you think they are?" Altaïr stood and leaned against the wall, gazing out at the oddly dressed people.  
"I have my suspicions, and that's all they are." Connor replied. "But I think we have reason to believe they're Templars."

***  
"I think they're enjoying the beanbags."  
"Yeah, thought they would. When we go in, someone needs to take Ezio to a bathroom; we should have removed those bottle caps and replaced them with something edible. As for the energy conservation light, what the fuck were you guys thinking?"  
"Sorry." The tech said, looking at the cluster of Assassins in the room. "All we had, and Arno is less likely to try and break it."  
"When do the interrogations begin?" Another tech asked.  
"Half an hour, we're trying to give them time to get acquainted."  
"Half an hour? Jacob's already tried to kill Edward!" Someone protested.  
"Yeah, but be glad we didn't bring Haythem in." The supervisor sighed. "Connor wouldn't be the mediator."  
"He wouldn't." The first tech agreed.  
"The brass said it's alright to drive rifts between these guys. Makes them more apprehensive toward each other; no rebellion or escape."  
"Half an hour?" The tech said, staring at Altaïr. The young man stood up on his yellow beanbag and tried to touch the light fixture. "For fuck's sake, Kyle, can't we do something with these idiots?"  
"No, unfortunately not." The supervisor replied. "It's just me and Jessica when it's time to interrigate. We can't let them feel threatened. Alright?"  
He looked around the room, to the nods of techs and employees assigned to the task. "Half and hour. Let's get ready."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better_in_Black; I could write Haythem into the story. He would present a more interesting (but difficult) situation. 1: Connor wouldn't be mediator, as he'd be trying to downplay everything Haythem does, and Haythem would take his place in making sure they don't kill each other. 2: He is a Templar, so while he wouldn't agree with the techniques being used, he would side with the Templars' arguments and such. He would be opposed to anything the Assassins do to escape. If you want him in just let me know.

"Are they going to do anything?" Ezio asked, staring at the people through the glass.  
"Probably not." Edward leaned back in his sandbag and shrugged. "Doesn't matter much, as long as they bring food. I'm already hungry."  
"Deal with it." Jacob snapped from across the room. Edward started to get up, his mouth twisted in a sneer, only stopped by Connor's grasp on his shoulder.  
"No. Both of you need to stop this petty rivalry."  
"Just let them go. What are they going to do, kill each other?" Ezio asked. The way the two were beginning to act, it was starting to seem like it. Altaïr dropped his gaze from the miniature sun and shrugged.  
"Possibly."  
"Tell him that!" Jacob pointed accusungly at Edward, scowling.  
"Not another word to each other. If I hear so much as a whisper, I'll hold you down and knee you in the family jewels." Arno barked. "Am I understood?"  
"What are family jewels?" Edward asked honestly.  
"You want kids, pisspot?" Jacob teased.  
Connor turned to him, one fist raised. "Don't think he won't do it. If he can't I will, and it won't be pretty."  
Jacob looked away and nodded. Edward relaxed and sat back against the sad bag again, a smug look on his face.  
"Onto less troublesome matters, stop staring at the damn sun, Altaïr." Ezio said.  
The Assassin blinked and shrugged. "Just look at it. It's so small and so much might comes from it. And this one is blue! Blue, I tell you!"  
Arno sighed. "I think it's a lost cause, Ezio. Let him stare his heart out."  
Ezio nodded reluctantly. "His eyes."  
"Your funeral." Jacob piped up.  
Arno stood up abruptly, clicking his tongue, and Jacob shied away from him, tipping his hat down.  
Ezio chuckled.  
Despite the oddity of this dream, it was rather humorous.

***  
Edward did not like Jacob.  
The man looked arrogant even when he wasn't speaking, and it appeared Jacob shared the same thought about Edward.  
For a moment, Edward pondered if it was worth it to try and take the hat.  
Well....  
He watched Jacob from across the room. He kept his funny hat on, his beady eyes darting around the room every few minutes. Distrust.  
If only Connor wasn't paying attention....  
Edward looked to the sandbag beside him, where Connor lingered, standing over Ezio and speaking in a low voice about the sun Altaïr was so consumed with. Next to them sat Arno, fingering a strange green colored stick that glowed in his hands.  
Perfect situations.  
Oh, did he love them.  
Edward jumped up and snatched the hat from Jacob's head, heading for the nearest sandbag.  
Jacob howled and lurched after him, his fists swinging.  
"Whoa!" Arno tackled Jacob and Connor caught Edward with both arms, swiping the hat from his grasp. "That's it, Edward, come here!"  
With a loud yelp Edward shoved Connor aside and raced around the room, dodging Arno's multiple attempts to hold him in one place and deliver a successful knee to his 'family jewels'. He still had no idea what they were.

***  
Arno gave up.  
For his childish behavior and obvious dislike for Jacob and his hat (The hat was interesting, in Arno's opinion) Edward was fast.  
He plopped down on a sandbag next to Altaïr and gazed at Connor, motioning for him to give the hat back to Jacob.  
Connor nodded and tossed it to the oddly dressed man, a half grin dominating his face. "Keep it out of his reach."  
Edward glowered at him from across the room.  
Arno pulled the 'glow stick' back out of his pocket and analyzed it, turning it over in his hands. Its glow was growing fainter; but it was still as fascinating as Altaïr thought the sun was. Then he looked out of the glass door at the strangely dressed people, who stood just watching them now.  
They had to come in soon, or they wouldn't be able to pry Jacob's fingers from around Edward's throat.

***  
Connor sighed and placed himself between Edward and Jacob. The two were growing increasingly tense around each other and while he was typically and imposing young man, Connor knew he couldn't faze down anger.  
He studied the people outside.  
One man, two women. One was a small women of pale skin and short stature, and the red shirt she wore hugged her closely. The man beside her was round and short, and he wore a necklace around his neck with a shiny piece of paper on it, that read 'Supervisor Kyle Daniels'. Another woman beside him was the tallest, and she had dark skin and black hair.  
Maybe she was Indian? Mohawk, hopefully.  
He looked away when she caught him studying her, then resumed analyzing the room he was in.  
Mohawk or not, she was his enemy.

***  
Altaïr was beginning to feel light headed, and his eyes were burning.  
He blinked and lowered his gaze, welcoming the darkness that his eyelids offered him. Maybe a small nap wouldn't be too bad, and keeping his eyes off the sun wouldn't be difficult, either. Staring at suns could blind you, he knew, but this one hadn't blinded him so far. Not with its blue light.  
He closed his eyes and pulled his hood up, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position on the leather sandbag.

***  
Jacob was beginning to hate this 'Edward' fellow.  
The man had a mischevious look about him, like if you left him alone with a whole of rum for a moment, it would be completely empty and he would claim he didn't do it while he struggled to walk in a straight line.  
He also seemed to have something against his hat.  
Jacob released a shuddering breath and pushed his hat up higher on his head, casting Edward an angry glare. The man glared back, his blue eyes reflecting his irritation.  
He didn't want to be kneed in the family jewels by Arno, but if it meant getting his revenge on Edward, Jacob was fine with it. He shrugged at Edward and stalked to the nearest sandbag, formulating a plan of action.

***  
"Boss, Jacob and Edward ain't gonna hold off much longer." Someone said behind him.  
Kyle turned and sighed. "Look, we've still got fifteen minutes. I think it's 'cause the brass may want to bring Haythem into join them."  
"Is he here?"  
"Not yet, as far as I know." The supervisor turned back and watched the Assassins mill around the room, boredom showing in their actions. Jacob gazed at Edward, a smirk playing on his lips. He looked like he was about to do something, well, stupid.  
Or funny.  
Despite the grim reality of the situation, the Assassins were humorous to watch, gawking at light bulbs and eating bottle caps.  
The supervisor didn't really think they'd escape; they were too entranced with technology.  
Well, maybe only Altaïr.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that Edward is at the age when he hasn't had children yet. This just got interesting. :)
> 
> Also, how is Haytham's name spelled? Lots of people, including me, put it as Haythem or Haytham. I just use both.

The supervisor was not a very patient man.  
So it was no surprise he nearly smashed his skull against the wall when four men appeared at the door, holding a very distressed Haytham Kenway in their arms.  
"Who the hell are you? Release me!"  
"By God, sedate him and get him into the room!" He turned and beckoned to three tech workers. "Go get some sedatives. Why didn't they call me and say he as coming?!"  
"It was apparently a possibility." One of the workers explained. "You said it earlier."  
Haythem continued to thrash, cursing the men holding him. "Enough of this! Tell me where I am or I'll-"  
One of the tech workers had taken the sedative injection and eased it into Haytahm's shoulder while he as speaking.  
Haythem opened his mouth to shout, then his head began to loll and he went limp.  
"Christ, it's worse when he's unconscious." Another man rushed in to help them carry Haytham, and they lurched to the door, a tech pulling it open.  
"Stay back!" The supervisor yelled in, at the stunned Assassins.  
Everyone but Connor nodded and stepped back, eyes wide.  
The men tossed Haytham onto a beanbag and left the room, slamming the door behind them.  
"Ten minutes to interrogations." The supervisor said wearily.

***  
Who the hell was he?  
Ezio stared at the man the others had thrown in, keeping his distance. He wore heavy navy blue clothes and a tricorn hat tilted low over his head, and his skin was a shade of tan that suggested long hours aboard the deck of a ship. He lay limp on the sandbag, his head lowered and his chest rising and falling in the steady motion of sleep. Ezio sighed and looked around, toward the others.  
Even Edward and Jacob had stopped their bickering, instead gazing with silent curiosity at the new man. Judging by the gauntlet on his wrist, he was an Assassin, which was a good thing if they intended to escape the supposed Templars.  
Ezio relaxed against his sandbag and stared at the floor, deep in thought.  
Connor had not sat down since they threw the new man in, rather, he stood over him, arms crossed.  
With their hoods lowered, Ezio began to realize something.  
For all their apparent differences, Connor, Edward, and the new man all seemed to look alike.

***  
Jacob scoffed to himself and leaned against the wall, lowering his head. The new man was an outsider, and already he hated him. Not only did he look like Edward, the way Connor was standing over him indicated something.  
Rivalry, maybe.  
Jacob straightened and walked toward the sandbag the man was sleeping on, then froze as Connor turned to him.  
"Don't touch him."  
"What? We need to find out who he is, and in order to do that, he's got to be awake."  
"Did you not hear me?" Connor's voice send a small shiver of fear down Jacob's spine, but he narrowed his eyes at the bigger man.  
"Step aside, we need to know who the fuck he is."  
"He's a fucking Templar, that's what he is!" Connor lost all illusion of calm and raised his voice.  
Jacob arched his eyebrows and laughed. "Look at his arm, you dolt. There's an Assassin symbol there."  
Connor stepped forward so he had to look down on Jacob. "What did you call me?"  
"A dolt."

***  
Oh, hell no.  
It was bad enough that Jacob and Edward were troublemakers, but to have Haytham here..... Connor swung his fist toward Jacob, clipping him in the jaw.  
The oddly dressed man's eyes went wide and he backed away, holding his mouth.  
"Do that again, you little-" Jacob was stopped by Arno's hand around his mouth.  
"Stop it, both of you. Having one jackass is enough." Arno looked pointedly at Edward, who gave him a rude gesture.  
"He's a Templar, I should know!" Connor spat.  
"And how do you know that? Enlighten us." Altaïr snapped.  
Connor pointed accusingly at Haytham. "That is my father, Templar Grandmaster of the American Colonies, Haythem Kenway."

***  
Kenway.  
Kenway?  
Edward's mind raced and he narrowed his eyes at Haytham, taking in every detail of the man's face. Haytham's features were near to his, and when he looked at Connor, he saw the same.  
It couldn't be.  
"Connor," Edward began. "What's your last name?"  
The bigger man looked at him with his mouth twisted in a sneer. "Why does it matter?"  
"Just... Please."  
"Kenway. Tell me yours."  
"My last name is Kenway."  
Connor stared at him, then slowly walked around Edward in a circle.  
"You're lying to me."  
"I'm serious, Connor." Edward said, turning to face the Native.  
Connor eyed him, before nodding. "We'll just have to see when my father wakes up."  
Edward couldn't agree more.

***  
The man in blue, the one they called Haytham Kenway... if he was a Templar, Altaïr needed to be on his guard.  
But that didn't mean the occasional peak at the sun would be disallowed.  
He looked back toward Edward and Connor.  
Both men lingered near Haytham, seldom paying any mind to each other.  
For once, however, Edward and Jacob has stopped their constant bickering and ignored each other, doing their own thing.  
Despite the new man being an outsider and Templar, Altaïr felt assured Connor and Edward would be all over him if he attempted anything.  
Altaïr resumed his nap.

***  
Arno curled up on a sandbag and wrapped his arms around his knees, resting his head on his elbows. He missed Elise so much. Even though this drunken dream was just that, he was sure, Arno knew he should have woken up by now, or become aware of his actual surroundings.  
Yet the longer he was here, the more he began to accept this new reality.  
Sure it had miniature suns and a 'glow stick' and bottles made of crinkly stuff, but if there were other Assassins....  
Maybe he could make this work.

***  
The first thing Haytham knew was that someone was standing over him.  
The next thing he knew was that it was Connor.  
"Welcome to the world of the living, father." Connor growled. "Did your fellow Templars turn on you?"  
What the hell was he talking about? All Haytham remembered was trying to got to sleep on an uncomfortable bed at an inn, smewhere in Boston.  
Then he as in the strange little room filled with strange people and something painful pricking his shoulder.  
Now this.  
There were people behind Connor, Assassins, Haytham guessed, judging by their robes and hoods. Did they know he was a-  
"Are you sure he's a Templar?"  
That voice.  
That voice was familiar.  
Haytham tried to stand up, but Connor shoved him back onto the sandbag, baring his teeth at him. Haytham ignored the look and craned his neck, searching for the origin of the familiar voice.  
Standing behind him was a man with blonde hair and blue eyes, and a scruffy beard on his jaw.  
"Father?" Haytham sat up and twisted in the sandbag, his mind racing.  
Edward gave him a blank look. "S'cuse me?"  
"You know who he is?" A man in white robes with a red sash around his waist and a leather strap around his stomach came up beside Connor, his voice questioning.  
"Edward Kenway....my father...." Haytham looked back at Edward. "But you're dead."  
"I'm right here; I've never had any kids- did they hit him over the head with something?"  
Connor shook his head and knelt by Haytham, keeping his steely gaze fixed on the Templar.  
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you are a Templar, and we are Assassins."  
"We're not killing him." A man in a navy blue and red cloak with a hood said from behind Connor. "That will only make the other Templars come after us."  
"No, I could never kill him." Connor said coldly.  
Haytham stared at him, fighting to keep his voice level. "If you try to kill me, I'll-"  
"We're not killing you, so just relax." A man in dark clothes that stood out signifigantly from everyone else- even the funny hat atop his head- stepped toward Haytham, shrugging.  
"Yes, but there's nothing saying we won't hurt him." Connor growled. "If I catch you doing anything I think is aimed to dampen our cause and hinder our escape, I swear, I'll beat you within an inch of your life. Am I clear?"  
Haytham resisted the urge to punch him.  
"Am I?"  
He didn't like it when people demanded something of him.  
Haytham kicked Connor in the leg before he knew what he was doing, and with an angry howl Connor jumped forward, swinging at his face.  
Haytham ducked and slipped out from under his son, and instead the blow caught Edward in the stomach.  
"Fuck!" Edward doubled over and stumbled back.  
Three men rushed forward to detain Connor, two wearing red and white, the other in his navy blue and red cloak.  
Haytham lurched forward, about to swing at Connor's jaw-  
Someone tackled him from behind, grasping both hands behind his back and throwing him against the wall.  
Haytham yelped as his forehead struck the wall and he slumped down, gritting his teeth.  
The man in different clothes from the rest tied a black sash from around his waist onto Haytham's hands, binding them tightly together.  
"One move, and we'll do this again." The man growled.  
"Connor. Connor!" Someone raised their voice and cursed loudly, and Haytham heard a thud behind him.  
He twisted and tried to move aside before his son barreled into him, his fists flying.  
"You- Fucking- Bastard-"  
Edward and another white robed man appeared behind Connor, pulling him off Haytham and tying his wrists behind his back as well. They pushed him down onto a sandbag and stood before him, arms crossed.  
Beside him, the man in blue and red crouched and tapped Haytham's shoulder.  
"My name is Arno, alright? Those are Altaïr, Jacob, Ezio, Connor, and Edward."  
"Haytham." He muttered, looking down. "This is unnecessary."  
"On the contrary, it's for both of your safety." Arno said, clasping his shoulder. "What did you do to piss him off?"  
Haytham couldn't bring himself to tell.

***  
The supervisor whistled. "Three minutes left until interrogations and already Connor's made an attempt on Haytham's life."  
"Poor guy's gonna need an aspirin by the time this is done. Hit his head on that wall pretty bad." A tech said beside him. "At least they tied 'em up."  
"Nah, I don't think they can take modern medicine. Let's just get ready-"  
The alarms began blaring.


	8. Chapter 8

"Sir-?"  
"Those are the system breach alarms." The supervisor becmoned to the door. "Leave the Assassins, they're too stupid to navigate this place. Everyone, out!"  
System breaches were not very common in Abstergo Industries. The alarms were triggered when a memory became extremely unstable and a genetic virus released, which then preceded to alter the genome of anyone who was unfortunate enough not to escape. The supervisor had never experience one, and, in a complete panic, ushered everyone out of the undergound facility to the top floors, joining the evacuation of workers and viewers alike.  
Kyle met and exceeded the protocol for leaving the building, rescuing all of his tech employees and anyone along the way.  
He failed in one aspect, however.  
Checking for any hacks in the Abstergo systems.

***  
Shaun pushed himself away from the computer and flexed his fingers, looking toward Rebecca.  
"Come on, I've set the alarms off. Let's go get them out."  
"Go ahead," Rebecca nodded to him and pushed the door open. "Let's get out here before the sweepers come looking for us."

***  
Everyone in the room froze.  
The room was filled with a loud noise that kept repeating itself, and it reminded Ezio of alarm bells. Maybe that's what it was, an alarm. Connor and Haytham both attempted to pull their hands from the bindings, panicked looks on their faces. Jacob leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling and clamping both hands on his ears. Edward crouched on the floor, both fists near his face, and Altaïr gawked at the miniature sun as it flashed red in the pattern of a heartbeat, in sync with the sound of the alarm bell. Arno stood in front of the clear door, his head lowered.  
Ezio suspected what he was going to do.

***  
Connie strained his arms against the says holding his hands in place. Not only was his father mere feet away from him, but those alarm bells were beginning to sound eerie and quite terrifying. He hissed through his teeth and continued to try and work his hands free, oblivious to what was about to happen.

***  
Altaïr couldn't help but stare at the sun as it turned from blue to red, then back to blue and back to red.  
Sorcery, possibly.  
The Assassin who made this was good. Very good.  
Altaïr winced as the alarm bell noise drowned his thoughts in loud screeches, and was almost forced to tear his gaze away from the multicolored sun to find the source of the noise.  
Almost.

***  
Edward stayed low to the floor, his hood pulled up and his fists near his jaw, ready to protect himself in need be. The noise, while defeaning, meant something, maybe guards would be coming.  
Maybe a whole army was coming.  
He still couldn't figure this whole 'Connor and Haytham and Edward Kenway' thing, either. He hadn't had kids.  
Yet?  
Edward adjusted his position and tightened his muscles, preparing for something, anything.

***  
Haytham growled through his teeth in irritation, and continued trying to loosen the sash from around his wrists. It was beginning to chafe, aside from the annoyance it caused him. He twisted and pulled his hands apart. When that didn't work, he lifted his leg into a kneeling position and sawed the sash across his knee. The technique had worked several times before (The Assassins were fond of tying people up with ropes, to his dismay.) but now seemed useless. All the red sash did was start cutting into his wrists.  
Haytham sighed and tried to think through the noise of the alarm bells.  
How did Edward not remember him? Then again, he looked nothing like the refined man Haytham had begun his life with. This man was scruffy and loud, and the gleam in his eyes reminded Haytham of Hickey.  
Oh, Hickey.  
Haytham frowned and tugged absentmindedly at the sash. Already he missed Hickey and Charles Lee, and William. He missed all of them.  
But he was with his son.  
He looked toward Connor and then back at his wrists. Despite the fact that Connor hated him, Haytham was proud of the young Assassin.  
Connor turned and glared at him, and Haytham looked away.  
Even if he didn't know it.

***  
Arno intended to smash the door.  
If it was made of glass, maybe he could break it with his fist, like the miniature sun.  
He lifted his fist and rapped it with his knuckles. A hollow ring echoed through the loud bells that went off through the room.  
So it was made of glass.  
Not bothering to hide the grin that pulled at his lips, Arno laced his fingers, drew his arm back, and sent his fists through the glass with a loud crack.  
He kept back as it shattered, and suddenly a man in plain colored clothes stood before him. He wore odd black rimmed glasses and had slicked brown hair, and had a nervous look about him. A woman appeared behind him, her face a mask of determination.  
"Hey, look, we, uh-" The man spoke with a pronounced British lilt, but he couldn't seem to find his words.  
"Alright, shut up, Shaun." The woman pushed past him and held out her hand, beckoning to the other Assassins and Arno. "Come with us. We're Assassins, too."  
Shaun nodded. "We're gonna get out of here."  
Haytham stumbled to his feet and shook his head.  
"I'm not going anywhere-"  
Connor struck him over the head from behind, both fists together. He looked down at Haytham with no trace of remorse. "Bring him with us. The only reason we're going with you is because of the alarm bells."  
"Yeah, no problem. You guys won't need prove soon enough." The woman said. Shaun gave her a look.  
"Now what? They're conspicuous in those centuries-old fashions."  
"Hey! What year is this, then?" Jacob demanded, coming to the doorway and pushing Arno roughly aside-  
"2015."  
Arno felt his stomach drop.

***  
2015.  
What the fuck?  
Jacob helped Edward and Altaïr lug Haytham from the floor- he wore the thick armor typical of the Templars, it would have been easier if the man lacked his cape and cloak- then made his way through the dark tunnel with the two people rushing ahead.  
No way it was 2015.  
That was.... more than a hundred years from 1868. What was the world like now? Jacob allowed Ezio to take his place holding Haytham and dropped back to join Connor, who walked slowly after the group, his hands behind his back.  
"I'll untie you, just turn around."  
Connor nodded and stopped, allowing Jacob to slip the sash from around his hands.  
"2015." The Native murmured quietly. "I don't believe this."  
"Neither do I. Do you trust those people ahead of us?"  
"Haytham, Shaun, or the woman?"  
".... all of them, I guess."  
"I don't trust any or them, not until I see legitimate prove of their Assassin loyalties."  
Jacob nodded. He would do the same.

***  
They made it to the utility stairs and held the door open for the Assassins, who gaped at the walls and the clean cut wood doors.  
"Just go on through, guys, we've got something special for you at the end of this." Rebecca said casually.  
Jacob and Connor shared a look, but continued up the steps before Shaun and finally, Rebecca.  
"How do you think they'll react to a car? Good or bad?" Shaun whispered to her.  
"Ehh.... does gawking and pointing and cursing sound like any good?"  
"Good point. Tell William we're coming. He damn well better have the van ready."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better_In_Black; No, Desmond won't be in this one. By now he's been dead for a while, although Shaun and Rebecca continue their work in Abstergo.  
> just a fan; I try my best :)

Shaun and Rebecca raced ahead of the Assassins and pulled the side doors open, beckoning them into the sunlight.  
"Into the blue colored car-carriage- whatever you want to call it. Be quick about it, the alarms don't go for long." Rebecca said to them. Edward and Jacob both tried to push each other back and be the first to the door, but Arno barreled through them both and into the sunlight. He froze and blinked once, twice.

***  
"Holy mother of-"  
"Where's the fucking horse?!" Jacob shoved Arno aside- oblivious to the massive gray colored buildings and the buzz of something in the distance- instead focusing on the huge.... carriage, Jacob guessed it was. It was blue and shiny, sitting up on four black wheels made of rubber, it seemed.  
"Forget the carriage. What was that thing inside? That's the real sun, right? Right?" Altaïr pointed frantically at the setting sun, ignoring the massive buildings. Jacob scoffed.  
"Oh, please. It was probably a torch."  
"Uh, you're both wrong, it's called a lightbulb. Now get in here!" The woman with Shaun pulled open the back- apparently there was a door on the back of this 'carriage'- and gestured to Edward, Connor, and Ezio to bring Haytham in. They looked around with wide eyes, then peered inside the carriage.  
"Come on, what are you three doing? Quit staring at the bloody sun, Altaïr!" Shaun pushed Arno and Jacob toward the rear of the carriage, then grabbed Altaïr's arm, snapping the Assassin out of it. "We have to move, people!"  
Connor and Edward both looked around again before climbing into the back of the carriage. Ezio followed them and Arno did the same, casting his gaze about one last time.  
Jacob folded his arms and refused to move.  
"Not until you tell me where the fucking horse is. That thing is not operating on it's own."  
"Oh, yes it is, and you better believe it!" The woman pulled his hat down low over his face and gently pushed him toward the carriage. "Trust me, it's perfectly safe. Just go."  
He grudgingly nodded and climbed into the cramped carriage.  
The floor was made of solid black material, and the other Assassins had to draw their knees to their chests to fit. Haytham lay curled against the soft chairs in the front, his head bowed. He appeared almost fully conscious.  
Jacob sat next to Edward and watched as Shaun closed the door behind them.  
"More your elbow, man, it's digging into my side." Edward hissed, jostling him with his shoulder. Jacob growled through his teeth and pushed Edward's face lazily aside with his hand.  
"Deal with it."  
"Oh, I'll deal with it, all right-"  
"Boys!" The woman's face appeared over the edge of the seats. Beside her, both Shaun and another man spoke to each other in quick, quiet voices, something about the 'escape plan'. "Here's the game plan. All of you need to be as quiet as mice, understand? No fighting, Edward and Jacob. Prepare to be going fast, okay? Like on a horse. My name is Rebecca, this is Shaun, and that's William, the getaway driver. We're all friends of the Brotherhood and members of it. We're taking you someplace safe from the Templars that brought you here. This trip should take about fifteen minutes, so be ready. Questions?"  
The Assassins gave each other blank looks and shook their heads slowly.  
"Good. All with be told by the end of today, which isn't very far away, for people with low patience levels." She looked pointedly at Jacob, then slapped the back of the seat. "No killing Haytham, either, Connor. Ready? No? Yes? See you soon, then."  
Rebecca turned back and said something to William.  
Jacob elbowed Edward, who elbowed him back, and so the rivalry continued.

***  
Ezio didn't like going fast.  
At least, not when he couldn't see the ground. As soon as the carriage lurched forward, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his stomach, groaning.  
Beside him, Altaïr inched away. "Going to be sick?"  
"That's not an impossibility." Ezio replied slowly, clamping a hand over his mouth. Altaïr nudged him gently.  
"Happens to me on boats all the time. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself someplace else. Someplace not moving at all."  
Ezio nodded and tried to relax, imagining himself crouched beside a tree, waiting for an assassination oppurtunity.

***  
So close to his father, and he couldn't beat him up.  
Connor folded his arms across his chest and kept his head down, trying to keep still as the carriage tossed and turned. Beside him, Arno leaned against the wall and sighed.  
"I still don't believe this." He said.  
"Neither do I." Connor agreed.  
"You can't kill your father, you know." Arno said softly. "Look at him. Looks half dead already. When was the last time you saw your father? And I mean, really, truly saw him?"  
Connor looked up toward Haytham, then shrugged. "It's too long ago. You've lost your father, haven't you?"  
The carriage bumped, jostling the Assassins in the car.  
Across from Connor, Ezio turned green.  
Arno nodded. "Both of them." His voice was rough and low, like he was on the verge of tears. "It's a pointless concept."  
Connor resumed watching Ezio's face shift between shades of green, and Altaïr's horrified, frantic looks every time the Assassin doubled over anywhere near his robes.  
It was a funny thing to watch.

***  
He really didn't like Connor at the moment.  
Arno frowned and picked at his leather gauntlets trying to pull his mind away from Charles Dorian and Monsieur De La Serre. And Elise.  
God damn it, Elise.  
This world was fascinating and new, with things he had never dreamt of, but it wasn't in any way appealing to Arno without Elise. The carriage they were in, the one that sped through this vast metal city, no horses attached!  
No horses was an awful big thing, especially when Arno was used to grooming them for the stuck up Master.

***  
Altaïr was not getting his perfectly white robes messed up by Ezio's sick. The man kept lurching forward, then back, his tan eyes closing and opening like he was fighting between two evils.  
Surely there were two evils.  
The one where Ezio didn't bring up his lunch, just putting Altaïr through the torture of the possibility. That was the lesser. The one where Ezio did get sick and ruined his robes.... Altaïr's fists would ache for days, and Ezio's face would suffer for months.  
The Assassin leaned forward one last time, giving into the.... carriage sickness?  
Altaïr yowled and flattened himself against Haytham, who pushed him away, muttering something under his breath.  
Across from them, Connor and Arno gave each other a look and pulled their legs up, giving the Assassin room.  
Edward leaned away from Ezio, into Jacob, who cursed and shoved him back.  
And so another fight was started.

***  
"Jacob, you've done it now, you little d-"  
"What the hell is going on back there?!"  
The carriage stopped abruptly, throwing the Assassins and Templar forward. Both Shaun and Rebecca looked back, grinning lightly.  
Instantly Connor, Arno, Altaïr, and the newly awaked Haytham looked at Ezio, Edward, and Jacob.  
Jacob smacked Edward and pressed himself against the back of the carriage. "It's his fault." He muttered, pointing to Ezio.  
Ezio lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help it."  
"He better not have ruined my van! Costed me-"  
"Please ignore William, Ezio. It's not your fault." Shaun said softly.  
"Okay, yeah, but we have to do something with him, at least. Edward! Quit trying to take his hat!"  
Edward snatched his hand back and glowered at Jacob, who smirked triumphantly at him.  
Think you've won, don't you-  
"Edward, switch places with Haytham, alright? Jacob, Haytham is far bigger than you. Take his hat... I'll let him do the rest."  
Haytham grinned, prompting a swift and sudden kick to his side from Connor.  
"That's enough of your father-son thing, too. Learn to hug, seriously." Rebecca added, as Edward crawled past Connor.  
Edward sat beside Altaïr- who huddled beside him, keeping his eyes on Ezio.  
"I said I was sorry..." The Assassin said. "What more do you want?"  
"My Hidden Blades." Altaïr moaned. Edward jabbed him in the side, not bothering to hide his smile.  
"Who needs Hidden Blades when you've got your fists?"  
"I do! Me!" Altaïr gestured to himself wildly, sending a small wave of laughter through the group.  
Rebecca and Shaun smiled again and Shaun turned back, so she could speak.  
"Okay, well. Ezio, it's not your fault. We'll stop at a gas station and clean it up. No more fighting, we've still got about five minutes left. Longer if you count the gas station stop."  
"Gas what?" Arno asked.  
"Gas grenade, I think. The stuff you throw at Templars, make's 'em go to sleep." Jacob piped up.  
"No, not-" Rebecca sighed. "Never mind. We'll stop and clean it up. Any of you listen to music?"  
The Assassins and Templar stared at her.  
"Come on, you know, rock, or.... oh, crap. Classical, you've all heard that at operas and such, and Edward, you in the West Indies, the Spanish music was to die for."  
"Not really. I prefer the Welsh stuff." Edward mumbled.  
The Assassins and Templar still gazed at her blankly.  
"You know what? I'll just turn the radio on."  
"Radio?" Edward asked.  
"Never. Mind." William shouted from the front.  
As soon as the carriage lurched forward again, a loud noise filled their ears.  
".... Some turn to dust or to gold...."  
Ezio and Arno clapped their hand over their ears. Edward pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them burying his head in his elbows. Connor lowered his head and shook it vigorously. Altaïr just stared blankly at the roof, his brow furrowed. Jacob tapped his fingers against his knee and smiled to himself. Haytham, unable to save his ears from the singing, repeatedly banged the back of his head against the carriage wall.  
".....But you will remember meeeee...."  
"Oh, God." Arno growled. "Turn it off!"  
"Yes! Please! Off!" Haytham added, raising his voice.  
The music abruptly switched off and a sullen looking Rebecca appeared over the seat. "Man, you guys are no fun."  
"Ow. My ears." Ezio said simply, shaking his head and blinking. Jacob regarded them all especially Edward- with an angry look.  
"What was it called? I liked that!"  
"Centuries, by Fall Out Boy. Best band ever." She grinned back at him. "See, someone liked it.... oh.... sorry.... Haytham."  
Haytham glared at her before shaking his head slightly. "Just the volume. How loud do you need it?"  
"This is William's car-carriage. Ask him."  
"None of your business!" The man shouted.  
"And I guess he's not telling you. Alright, that's it, guys. Almost to the gas station."  
Edward wanted to sing Hallelujah.

***  
"Man, this is kind of sad. Ezio's carsick, Edward and Jacob won't stop fighting, Altaïr is freaked out for his robes, Connor's got an attitude, and Arno looks really depressed." Rebecca said, looking out over the road.  
"What do you expect? The Templars took them from their time boundry. This is really, really fucked up for them." William replied, tightening his hold on the wheel.  
"At least Haytham knows how to keep quiet." Shaun said.  
"Give me back my damn hat!" Haytham's voice filled the car from behind them.  
"No, on second thought...." Shaun corrected himself and sighed.  
"Let's introduce these poor idiots to the twenty-first century, shall we?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maleficent_angel; Just image their reactions to video games ;)  
> BLACK_GEAR_026; I've done this a lot, and I guess it's really not much of an issue to bend the rules of Assassin's Creed. So it's no problem to add him in.

They stopped at the nearest gas station and Rebecca cleaned the back of the car, gently reminding Arno that it was merely lemon-scented wipes and not something to try and knock them out.  
She climbed in beside Shaun and they continued, by now ignoring the random shouts and vulgar coming from behind them.  
Until they turned onto Shaun's driveway.

***  
"I made it!" Ezio shoved Haytham and Altaïr aside and threw himself against the grayish-color-hard-stone stuff, bowing and kissing it (It tasted horrible). He was surrounded by what looked like houses with grass in front of them, and a grayish-color-hard-stone thing, too. Down the middle was a long strip of black tar, and off in the distance, he heard the same buzz as before, and saw the same steel gray buildings.  
Someone tapped his shoulder and he peered up, looking at the man he was sure was William.  
"Don't go kissing people's driveways. You don't want to know what's been on them."  
Ezio looked back down, then stood up and brushed off his robes. "Well, then, what are we doing here?"  
"This is where you'll be staying for the weekend. Just until we figure out how to smuggle you back to your...." Rebecca caught herself and shrugged. "Me, Shaun, William and Desmond will have to stay with you, and Shaun got the short one of the sticks, so it's his house we're hijacking."  
"I still call bullshit." Shaun said begrudgingly. He stepped toward the door and motioned to the Assassins and Templar, who had all climbed from the carriage and gazed around themselves with wide eyes. "I have three extra rooms. Desmond's agreed to sleep on the couch, so you can thank him. Me and William will share my room, three of you get one, and four share the other. Rebecca.... wait, I didn't think about where you're sleeping."  
She gave him an irritated look. "That's real nice, Shaun. I'll just sleep on one of the chairs, it's only a weekend arrangement."  
"Alright. No touching anything, no breaking anything, we've got less conspicuous clothes laid out for you- we've been planning to get you away from the Templars for a while, so don't look so angry, Haytham- and come on in."  
He pushed the door open with a click, and Ezio scurried inside, eager to be first to see the interior of the house.

***  
Haytham still didn't appreciate being tied up like this.  
No matter how he turned, he couldn't wrench his arms from the sash that bound them together. Connor cuffed his shoulder and shook his head.  
"We're keeping you in that thing."  
"This isn't funny. Let me go." Haytham growled.  
William motioned to Connor as they stepped inside. "Just let him go. We're not leaving this house for a while."  
Connor gave Haytham another cuff on the ear and untied his hands, pushing him forward. "Well, go."  
Haytham shuffled into the house and stopped.  
The floor was tiled and the walls were a pure white. Across from him, a wide kitchen (That's what he thought it was, judging by the basket of fruits on the oaken table.) loomed, and what appeared to be a big shiny gray box stood out from it. Down the hall there was another ultra-thin black box, the front of it moving. A moving image?  
How was this possible?  
Haytham hurried down the hall and froze again, eyeing a man that slept on the brown couch before him. There was a small black thing clutched in his hand, with what looked like multicolored buttons on it.  
Haytham slipped the small black thing from the man's hand and studied it, pressing the buttons.  
The moving image changed to as how that kept signing, in a proud irritating voice, 'SpongeBob SquarePants'.  
He didn't know what a 'SpongeBob' or a 'SquarePants' was, but it sounded suspiciously like a child's moving image.

***  
Altaïr was most interested in that big box in the corner. Not only was it made of shiny gray steel, bit when he opened it, the delicious aroma of food rose to meet him. And behind all the small canisters and cups- what was orange juice and why was it so refreshingly cold?- there was a miniature sun!  
He slowly closed it, pressing his face against the side of the box to try and see if the miniature sun turned off.  
When all he could see was a sliver of bread wrapped in something shiny, the box went dark.  
He flung it open, and t his surprise, the miniature sun turned back on.  
"What's-"  
"That's a fridge, Altaïr. Hungry?" Rebecca said, grinning. She pulled it open and examined its contents. "Want an apple? Shaun's obsessed with healthy foods-"  
"It's not an obsession if it's healthy, I've told you- Edward! Stop trying to touch the fish!"  
"I think he's busy, anyway." Rebecca added, allowing Altaïr to make his pick of the green, red, and yellow apples.

***  
The fish in that clear tank looked like they would make a good lunch, as it didn't seem there was any more food in the house. He had tried to eat one of the fruits in the basket, but it was really just a ball of white, flaky stuff William called 'plastic foam'.  
Edward repeatedly tried to plunge his hand in and catch them, but they kept swimming away, until Shaun finally thwapped his hand and told him to stop it.  
"This room is where you, Ezio, and Connor will sleep, alright? Next to your room Arno, Haytham, Jacob, and Altaïr will sleep, alright?" He motioned to the bed with extremely soft sheets like before- similar to the bunks in the Jackdaw, there was another bed on top of it, and across the small room there was one last bed. They all bore red colored sheets and there was what appeared to be clothes, neatly folded, on top of them.  
"The rough fabric can be blue, gray, or black,' okay? It's called jeans. On the floor, those are sneakers. Put them on and come out when you're done so we can get you all changed into twenty first century clothes.  
With that, he walked out, closing the door behind him.  
Edward studied the clothes, sighing. He was reluctant to slip out of Duncan Walpole's modified robes, but if he wanted to blend in, he'd have to put on those 'jeans', and the light blue shirt that waited for him on the bed.

***  
Jacob looked out the open door from his position behind the couch where the man slept, watching the grass behind the brick wall waver in the wind. The little box that projected light, the one William called a T.V , had lost its fascination to them (By noe they all understood to simply accept the magic and/or sorcery involved in this new world.) although not Haytham.  
"What are they doing with that ball? You're supposed to kick it, not run with it! Why did he just tackle-"  
"It's called football, Haytham. Lots of running, shoving, tackling, and swearing. You guys would like it." Rebecca came into the room and motioned to the T.V. "Football, see?" She mimicked taking the ball and running with it, shoving William aside playfully.  
"Why's it called that? The ball shouldn't be brown and oval shaped-"  
"It's American Football."  
"Oh... well... that explains it." Haytham sighed and kept pressing the buttons, and the T.V. "Why are there so many different moving images?"  
"They're called channels. Or shows. Or movies. See? That's the kid's channel, that's the Animal Planet one, and that's the news."  
"The news?"  
"The poeople tell you what's going on in the world. Pay attention; eventually you'll see someone good looking."  
Haytham looked at her bashfully and resumed gazing at the T.V.  
Jacob frowned and watched the T.V., unsatisfied when no one appeared. Then he cast his gaze back to the doorway and spotted a cat playing with something in the grass. Maybe he could see what it was up to- Edward came into the room, wearing a looks fitting blue shirt and a rough fabric that looked like jeans. He was about to sit next to Haytham-still pondering the concept of American football with Rebecca- and watch the T.V when Jacob said something he really shouldn't have.  
"You look like a blueberry."  
Edward sprang up and lunged for him.  
Jacob scrambled out of the way, running for the open doorway. He was almost to it now, about to scare the cat-  
He slammed into something extremely hard with a solid think and his mind went blank.

***  
"Um... Shaun?" Rebecca called, as Arno rushed into the room. He wore a gray shirt and black colored jeans, and from the look of it, he was sure he appeared only a little uncomfortable.  
"What happened?" He asked, looking at Jacob. The oddly dressed man had fallen on the floor by an open doorway, holding his head and groaning. Standing over his was Edward, a triumphant grin on his face.  
"He didn't see the glass door. How clean do you keep this place?" Rebecca asked as Shaun burst into the wide room.  
"Really clean. Hey, listen. Haytham, go change, Ezio will show you what we laid out for you. Don't worry about Jacob; he's perfectly fine. Just kissed the glass door. Alright, Edward and Arno, stay with Desmond. And turn the T.V. off!" He snatched the little black thing away from Haytham, who scowled and left the room, following an elated looking Ezio wearing a white and red shirt with the 'blue jeans' Shaun had showed him.  
Arno pushed the sleeping man's (Desmond, if he had the name right.) legs off the couch and huddled onto it, studying the fabric his shirt was made of.  
Cotton?  
It didn't feel like anything he'd ever felt.  
Welcome, he thought, to the new reality.

***  
Connor pulled the dark green shirt over his head and stared at the black colored 'jeans' Shaun had told him to wear. He pinched the rough fabric against his knee and shurgged, then looked at the blue colored shoes by the bed and decided against it, opting to walk around the house barefoot.  
"Connor, you in here? Go on out and sit with Edward and Arno in the other room." William beckoned to him from the doorway.  
Connor nodded and slid off the soft sheets of the bed, following the older man out of the room.  
This was a strange dream.  
Really strange.

***  
Desmond did not expect to wake up and be surrounded by his ancestors so fast.  
The plan had originally been that Shaun, Rebecca, and his father would show up sometime after six at night. It was only four. He opened his mouth to say something about how they were all related, then clamped his mouth shut after Shaun gave him a 'They-Know-Nothing-Of-Their-Ancestry-And-If-You-Say-Something-I'll-Suspend-Your-Video-Games-From-This-House' look.  
Jacob was slumped on the floor by the glass door, and curled on the far end of the couch was Arno, peering at his shirt with wide eyes.  
On the floor, Edward and Connor lay on their stomach and arm wrestled, pumped on by Altaïr and Ezio. In the corner, Haytham sat Indian style, trying to understand an X-Box remote control. He wore a long sleeves navy blue shirt and dark colored jeans, similar to what Edward wore. Connor wore a dark green shirt and black jeans, and Ezio wore a white shirt with red lines on the arms. Altaïr wore a red shirt that mirrored Ezio's, with white lines instead of red. They both wore light colored jeans.  
"Modern clothes. How did you get their sizes?"  
"Lucky fit." William said from across the room. "This is just for the weekend, remember?"  
"Yeah." Desmond sat up on the couch and rubbed his cramped neck. "Can I show them some games?" He motioned to Haytham, who tossed the remote aside with a frustrated sigh.  
"Go ahead. They won't remember any of this." Rebecca whispered to him, from her position beside the couch. "Should we show them Call of Duty?"  
"One at a time, though. Haytham, come here, and bring the remote. Want to see something cool?"


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; I'm not an exemplary artist, but I could try. Although it'd take me a while. If anyone wants to draw them in their modern clothes, that would be epic :)  
> just a fan; No idea is shitty. Not if it involves the Assassins and a grocery store. ESPECIALLY. And like I said above, if you'd like to draw them, that's awsome! Maybe them all fighting or doing their own thing around the house?  
> Black_Gear_026; You showed this to your friends 0.o I think I've passed the limit of being flattered :)  
> jacob; They're all at different points in their lives, so certain things haven't happened yet, hence Edward's not knowing Haytham. By now they're beginning to accept the 'dream' as reality, (also, this focuses mainly on humor and not straightforward facts) and Haytham understands it's pointless to continue the topic of Edward being his father; Edward still doesn't recognize him. I'm also not sure just how much of a troublemaker Jacob really is, but he definitely seems like the irritable type of Assassin.

"Alright.... look... this is Call of Duty, Modern Warfare. Third one, right, Desmond?"  
He nodded to Rebecca from the couch. "Show him the multiplayer controls. This is going to be priceless."  
She explained the controls to a confused Haytham and handed him the remote, finding a game lobby. "Now, you're playing with other people, so try to use your brain."  
Haytham accepted the remote and squinted at the screen, panicking vocally when someone tried to shoot him.  
At last the match ended- Haytham got one kill due to a lucky incident with a sentry gun and an RPG, and more than twenty deaths.  
"I demand a rematch. No, a duel. Can you duel?" He asked, frowning at the controller.  
"Um... not really. Here, just... let's let Edward try."

***  
He tried everything against the people in the little box Desmond called a T.V.  
Ran around corners and lobbed tiny green grenades. He even tried to knife someone with a blue name tag over their head, until Haytham gently reminded him that was teammate.  
"This is bullshit! Why did he shoot me?"  
"You're the enemy, Edward." Rebecca said patiently.  
"Yeah, but he didn't-"  
"You were just sitting there. Of course he's gonna take his time and get a headshot, it helps his gun level up. Pay attention next time, okay? You might see him before he shoots you."  
Edward tossed the little controller (A remote, he figured it was called) at Jacob, who had exchanged his odd looking clothes for a black shirt and pants, and angrily crouched on the floor beside Connor.

***  
Jacob glowered at Edward, then allowed Desmond to show him the mechanics of the game and how to play it. Once he had that down, Jacob eagerly ran around the 'map' and shot whatever moved.  
Someone's voice wafted from the box with the circle and the X in the middle, sounding thoroughly pissed.  
"You're gonna try and noobtoob your way through this with that fucking RPG, huh? You're probably just a little....."  
"Tell you what, Jacob, let's just find another lobby." Rebecca quickly pulled the remote away and left the game, then handed it to an excited looking Ezio.

***  
"Wait! Wait! Where are my Hidden Blades?"  
"For the tenth time, there are no Hidden Blades."  
"Then what's this?" He pressed the button that corresponded to the blade and his in-game arm shot out, swiping a knife through the air.  
"That's a knife, Ezio."  
"But-"  
"Just play the game, and use the 'Hidden Blade' then." Rebecca sighed and looked toward Desmond, who shrugged.  
"Okay, so it is a Hidden Blade. I was trying to tell you that!"

***  
When Ezio's match finally ended he gave the remote to Connor, who learned from Desmond the buttons and the working of the game.  
"Alright. Why is his name Bunny Killer? Why would you want to kill a rabbit, other than to eat it?"  
"It's just a username. People are idiots, though, so don't kind their names."  
"But why is his name Mr. RPG? What about my name?"  
"The username I have is Assassin, Connor." Desmond said. "Just Assassin."  
Haytham glared at the screen. "You could have told me that."  
"Told you what?" Connor asked.  
"That the name was Assassin."  
"So?" Rebecca questioned. "It's just a username, Haytham. It shouldn't really matter to you."  
"It's starting, anyway, Father. You finished your turn." Connor refocused on the T.V. and concentrated on staying in one place, lying in wait for the enemy players.

***  
"Connor, don't get so irritated with those people. It's just a game.... and you were camping, so you were fair game."  
"Calming?" Connor growled. "They knew where to find me every time! They had to be doing something-"  
"Never mind. Just let Arno have a go, then." Desmond explained to Arno the buttons and movements of the game, then gestured to the T.V.  
"What am I doing?" Arno ran into a wall and kept trying to climb it, shooting it with the extremely fast gun he had equipped. MP7, or something. Why not just call it Superfast Rifle?  
"Wait, back up, then turn around, and-"  
"The battle is lost, but the war has just begun."  
"Who the hell said that?" Arno demanded, as the match ended. "No one here sounds-"  
"That's the announcer, Arno. You're playing as a Russian solider."  
"Oh.... so that's it?"  
"Yeah, your team lost."  
"Damn my team, then! Probably inexperienced children playing..."  
Desmond and Rebecca shared a bemused look and allowed Arno to give the remote to Altaïr.

***  
Every time he tried to get the stupid 'care package', another one flew out of the sky and killed him!  
Altaïr swore to himself for the third time and manuevered himself away from the 'Osprey Gunner', then crouched in a corner with his high powered weapon and waited for the enemy to run by.  
He ended the match with a 0-34 K:D ratio (From the smug looks on the others' faces, he guessed it was a very bad or funny score) and threw the remote back at Haytham.  
"I give up. Damn 'care packages'. You try again."  
Haytham scowled at him and gave the remote to Desmond.  
"Let's see you play, Desmond."


	12. Chapter 12

"It's just peanut butter and bread, guys. Some water, then go to sleep, alright?" Rebecca and Shaun directed each of the Assassins and the Templar to take a seat at the table, and William and Desmond worked on putting peanut butter in a sandwich for them to eat.  
"Why not something some thing else?" Altaïr asked, eyeing the bread. "I don't even know what peanut butter is."  
Connor picked his bread up and just started eating. "Try it. It tastes good...."  
A strange look came over his face and he swung his head around frantically, working his mouth.  
"What's wrong?" Haytham asked from across the table.  
"Connor, you alright? Stuck to the roof of your mouth, huh?" Rebecca said, clapping his shoulder. Connor nodded wildly and seemed to panic. "Just relax, and use your tongue."  
Gradually Connor's mouth unglued itself and he glared at the piece of bread before him.  
Haytham chuckled and lifted his piece, studying it.  
"It's not that bad."  
"You try it, then." Edward jostled Haytham with his elbow.  
"Why don't you?" Haytham replied.  
"You're all wusses." Jacob bit into his piece. "Watch....."  
Ezio laughed. "Can't speak anymore, can you?"  
Jacob mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like 'fuck you' and shook his head, blinking and working his jaw.  
Finally he pointed at Ezio, drew in a breath, and repeated his message clearly.  
"Hey-"  
"You know what, I'll eat the whole thing, just to prove you're all coward Assassins." Altaïr growled.  
"I'd like to see you try." Edward smirked and picked his bread up, bringing it to his mouth. "I challenge you to a race, then."  
"That doesn't seem like a good idea," Arno began uncertainly. "Are you sure.... ah, fuck it."  
"This should be interesting." Haytham leaned back so the two could face each other, then folded his arms across his chest. "Best of luck."  
"Ready.... Go." Ezio stood and pumped a fist.  
Immediately both Altaïr and Edward wolfed their bread down, making strange faces as they swallowed each bite.  
Finally Edward pushed back his chair and stood up, throwing both hands in the air.  
"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked. Beside her in the kitchen doorway stood Shaun and Desmond, shaking with silent laughter.  
"To see who is better at eating 'peanut butter', and more brave, we did a race." Connor explained.  
Edward's head bobbed as he swallowed twice, then he shook his head and sighed through his nose.  
"Never again, Altaïr."  
"That sucked. Who the hell invented that stuff?" Altaïr moaned, rubbing his neck.  
"A peanut farmer, right? George Washington Carver... I think. Anyway, since it looks to me like you're all done, just go to your rooms and try to sleep. It's already eleven, you were watching Desmond's game way longer than you should have."  
"Put you all to shame." Desmond smirked and allowed the Assassins and Templar to file out to their rooms.  
"Not me!" Arno retorted on the way out. "It was my bullshit team that lost."

***  
Ezio moaned and rolled over, reaching up to thump Edward's mattress above him.  
"What?" Came the tired reply. "Better be good, you just woke me up from a damn good dream."  
"You're snoring." Ezio whispered.  
"It's not me. Pro'ly Haytham."  
"It is you!" Ezio broke the whisper with a low, urgent tone. "I can hear it. Just lay on your back or something."  
"What's going on, Ezio?" Haytham murmered from across the room.  
"You're snoring." Edward snapped.  
"I don't-"  
"Everyone just lay on your back, alright? Edward, I'm damn sure it's you."  
"Fine, then. Just let me sleep." Came the irritated reply.

***  
"Did you hear that?"  
"Hear what, Arno?" Altaïr asked, peering over the edge of the his 'bunk.  
"A booming noise. And now-"  
What sounded like a fountain coming from the wall started up, and Arno gave a quiet squeal.  
Suddenly, the noise of a scuffle reached Altair's ears and he sat up, reaching down toward Arno in the dark. His fingers closed around hair and he pulled hard, throwing Jacob off the Frenchman.  
Jacob yowled and retreated back to his bed, tripping over his own bare feet. "Go to fucking sleep! Wake me up again, and Altaïr won't stop me!"  
"Jacob, calm down." Connor said quietly. "If you're that frightened about it, Arno, I'll go see what made the noise. Probably a bird."  
"I'll come with you." Altaïr said, climbing down from his mattress. He joined Connor in the doorway and crept to the room beside theirs. The door was closed and a sliver of light escaped the small gap at the bottom of the wood.  
"You open the door, and I'll jump in." Connor whispered.  
Altaïr nodded and threw open the door, momentarily blinded by the light. Connor longer in, tackling Desmond to the tiled floor.  
"Oh, come on! Connor, get off me! I was just using the damn bathroom!"  
"Bathroom?" Altaïr studied the room before him. A shiny white seat with water inside, and a silver handle on the top. A counter with a mirror and metal stick in front of it, water dripping from the edge. A miniature sun emitted the glow in the room, and behind Desmond and Connor was a big green colored curtain, one that was attached to a metal rod in the all.  
"Oh.... sorry." Connor helped him up and motioned to Altaïr. "Let's... um... go back and tell Arno it was just Desmond."  
He said that just as they heard a high pitched shout from the other room.  
Altaïr and Connor rushed in, pulling a clearly very tired and irrititable Jacob off a mildly panicked Arno.  
"Just tell him to shut up!" Jacob protested as Connor pushed him toward the bed, laughing. "If anything!"

***  
"So how did last night go?" Shaun asked, sitting at the table beside Ezio.  
The Assassins and Templar sat around the table, and Rebecca leaned on Edward's chair, sipping from a glass mug. Desmond and William hadn't woken up yet, and Connor had a feeling he knew why.  
"It went just fine, had one of them not snored." Ezio looked pointedly at Edward, who frowned and pointed to Haytham, who shrugged and put his hands up, shaking his head.  
"Okay, then. Well, you guys may end up staying more than a weekend, so Rebecca and Desmond agreed to take you shopping. In about an hour, I guess you should be putting your newer shoes on-"  
Something in the room gave a metallic pop, and the reaction was almost instant.  
Ezio jumped and hit his head on the back of his chair. Jackb cursed loudly and pushed his chair back, bringing both fists up in a fighting stance. Altaïr choked on his 'orange juice', and Edward froze, eyes wide. Arno panicked and threw himself under the table, and Connor vaguely remembered kicking Arno aside, then hefting his chair up for defense, and Haytham seemed to have a complete spasm, tipping the chair back entirely and throwing his arms out.  
"God, guys." Rebecca laughed and walked to the counter, then came back with a piece of burnt-looking bread. "It was just the toaster."  
"You could have at least warned me... that was going to explode like that." Haytham panted, pulling himself up with the table.  
"It didn't explode. The bread just popped out."  
Arno peered up from the edge of the table, then hurriedly stood up. "It.... sounded like a smoke bomb."  
"The toaster, or your scream?" Jacob asked, pounding the table and laughing. "I should tell them about last night-"  
Connor set the chair down, crept up behind Jacob, and rapped him on the head with his knuckles. "Leave him alone, we still remember the glass door incident."  
"What glass.... aw, hell." Jacob glared at Arno, but he quieted down.

***  
Haytham carefully righted his chair and sighed, studying the paper Shaun read. It looked like a newspaper, but with pictures, and lots of different categories.  
"Yes?" Shaun asked, looking toward him.  
"That's a newspaper."  
"That it is."  
"Can I see it?"  
"Um... I guess?" Shaun handed it to him and watched as Haytham quickly read over the words.  
"What's an iPad?"  
"It's complicated, Haytham."  
"What's a subway?"  
"Jacob could tell you that."  
"I'm not telling you anything!" Jacob fired from across the room.  
"What's a-"  
"You know what, I'll tell Rebecca to buy you one at the store." Shaun gently eased it from Haytham's grasp and returned to reading it, sipping his mug of coffee.

***  
Arno hadn't meant to panic like that.  
He just had a strong aversion to smoke bombs.  
And loud noises.  
And, after playing that game, the one Desmond called Call of Duty, he had developed a fear of RPGs.  
But, Arno had to admit, his reaction was kind of retarded. Still.... nothing topped Haytham's freakout.  
Both Arno and Edward were unable to conceal their laughter, and boht let it out until Haytham got up and gave each of them a solid smack on the back of the head, grumbling to himself about toasters and pieces of bread.

***  
Jacob tapped his fingers on the table, mentally preparing himself for the toaster to pop again.  
He rolled his eyes and gazed at the ceiling, still thinking about the night before, and that game he had been playing. What was it? Call of Duty? Modern-something. He had liked that game. And they were going back in the carriage to the store! What would he see there?  
Not much new, maybe. A small toaster, perhaps. One he could beat with a stick. Haytham and Arno would probably help him with that. Maybe he'd see another glass door. That would be terrible. That would be very terrible.

***  
Edward could not get over the other Assassin's reactions. It didn't matter how pissed they got at him, or how many smacks and punches he received, he always continued laughing, or at least chuckling.  
By now he was used to things making popping, or booming noises. You slowly got used to it when running with the likes of Blackbeard and James Kidd. Cannons, smoke bombs, guns, rocks, smashing bottles.  
He had learned to stop and wait when he heard that, if only for a few seconds.  
But for some reason, the other Assassins didn't grasp it. They had all panicked and it was funny, and when Edward Kenway found something funny, he kept going back to it.  
Until Jacob splashed him with Altaïr's 'orange juice'- much to the Assassin's vocal anger.  
And then things weren't funny anymore.

***  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Connor and Haytham lunged forward, wrapping their arms around Edward. Shaun and Rebecca had to help them get him under control, and Altaïr, Arno, and Ezio watched Jacob flee the room, only to come back moments later, holding his head and complaining- with the use of several curses and incredibly rude gestures- about the glass door.  
"Splash me again! And I'll-"  
"Fa- Edward." Haytham caught himself and heaved Edward back against the wall with the help of Connor, Shaun and Rebecca. "Look, he hit the glass door again. You've gotten your revenge without laying a hand on him."  
"But-"  
"Alright, I got two things to say. No, three." Desmond pushed open the door and held up his hands, speaking through chuckles. "One, Jacob, that was fucking hilarious, you really should have learned the second time. Two, we're leaving for the store in about ten minutes, so be ready, and three..... quit the fighting. You're going to kill each other before the weekend's over."


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Black_Gear_026; That's the best part! So many different reactions from each of their different personalities and factions and time zones, it can go in any direction :) Anything anyone imagines, I can put it in this story, like the faceful of coins and stealing stuff.  
> PoisonHw; Forged from fire, its origin is shrouded in glass, sand, and repetitive melting.... I'm with Jacob on hating glass doors.

The store was a big gray building that was rather squat when compared to the towering monoliths of the city, but to the Assassins and the Templar among their ranks, it was a shock-and-awe moment.  
"That's a glass door, isn't it?" Jacob growled nervously.  
"Yeah, make sure you don't piss me off, or I'll-"  
"Edward, you really aren't helping the situation. Jacob, I'll teach you a trick. When we get closer, see if you can spot your reflection. Okay?"  
He nodded and bit his lip.  
"So what exactly are we getting from this store?" Connor asked, looking around at the cars.  
"Just food. You guys can't live off bread and peanut butter, as demonstrated last night. We're buying stuff that's easy on the stomach."  
"Does that include ice cream?" Desmond asked. "Shaun's got none of that stuff."  
"Yeah, I guess it does." Rebecca replied. They were within three feet of the door when the sensory mechanism kicked in, and they slid back.  
Desmond had forgotten to include they would open on their own.  
Jacob- who had been ahead of the others- shrieked and jumped back, slamming into a shocked Altaïr. He stumbled onto Edward, who cursed and pushed them to Haytham. Haytham shoved him back up and righted himself, with the help of a startled Ezio.  
"Okay, now that...." Desmond had to stop and laugh before he continued. "... That's just fucked up, buddy, you should be used to stuff popping, flashing, and moving on its own."  
"I.... didn't know... it would just open right up that fast." Jacob lowered his head as they walked into the store, as though he was trying to ignore the stares from other people.

***  
Ezio, by now, had begun to accept everything in its incredibly advanced state as a dream.  
A very realistic dream.  
He looked up at the gray, hard floors and white brick wall- the place was massive, with lots of beeping and lots of rows of metal racks filled with wonderful things- and studied the big wood board on the wall near the door.  
"Haytham..." He tugged the Templar's sleeve and pointed to the images plastered on the wall.  
"That's going to be a problem." Haytham nudged Desmond's arm and looked pointedly at the wooden board. The other Assassins followed his line of sight, and all seemed to quiet down.  
"Wanted for launching an attack on Abstergo and destroying DNA samples...." Altaïr murmured. "We did none of that, so why-"  
"Just keep your heads down, alright? They fabricated a criminal record for you guys, rather than admit what they were really doing... Try not to call attention to yourselves." Rebecca said. "And stay by us."  
Rather than do that, within ten minutes, Desmond and Rebecca had lost sight of all but Ezio.

***  
"What use do you have for children's toys, Connor?" Edward asked, joining Haytham and sidling down the- as Desmond put it- isle, even though it looked nothing like an island. The metal shelves carried all sorts of bright toys that shook and made weird noises, but Connor was most interested in the brightly colored, slippery ball at the end. It was covered in tiny, soft spikes and inside, there was a dark colored rock, it seemed, that made banging noise when Connor bounced it in his hand.  
"I don't have a use. But look at this." Connor held it up so Edward and Haytham could see. The two came closer and studied it quietly, wondering what it was, until Edward decided it would be a marvelous idea to pound it with his fist.  
Instantly the ball lit up in all different colors and emitted a high, piercing scream, that sounded vaguely like a room of hyper ocherstrata members.  
Edward yelped and scrambled back, tripping on his own feet and landing on his rear in the middle of the isle. Haytham leaped away, stumbling into the shelf. Connor immediately dropped the ball and frantically scurried as high as he could up the metal dsiplay rack- he stood on the very top, and could see the entire building- before he realized what he'd done. The noise dipped and seemed to peter out, as though it was growing tired of scaring the trio to death.  
"I.... I think it's stopped..." Haytham said after a while, slowly letting his hold on the the shelf go.  
"You think?" Edward asked, getting to his feet. Connor paced the top of the shelf, just like he would if he were climbing the mast of the Aquila, or moving along the treetops.  
"Um... I -I think I'm stuck. Help me down."  
"You..." Haytham stared up at him and sighed. "And you can't remember how you got up there?"  
"No." Connor began to pace faster, worry filling him. What if he couldn't get down?  
Edward tapped the shelf with his knuckles, then shook his head. "Just jump down."  
"What? The floor is as hard as stone, there's limited space to roll and recover, and if I land on one of you..."  
"Just the thing!" Edward snapped his fingers and pointed at Haytham. "Perfect!"  
"What- I never agreed to that!"  
"You haven't agreed to anything. He's coming up with random ideas." Connor shrugged. "I don't really see another option."  
"Hey, what's that guy doing up there?" Someone asked, in the distance of the store. If he was going to get down, he had to do it fast.  
Before Haytham knew what he was going to do, Connor launched himself from the top of the shelf, landing on his father like he intended to assassinate him. He wound up with both hands driven onto Haytham's neck, his knee rammed into his stomach.  
"Connor- get off me- before I throw up- I can't breathe- damn you!"  
Haytham beat his fists against Connor's knees and arms until he got up, then turned and stalked away, cursing to himself. "Someone has to put it back." Connor stated simply.  
"Put what back?" Edward asked, eyeing a toy pirate ship made of... something smooth and shiny. "That is not a ship. They completely fucked up the design-"  
"No, the ball." Connor gestured to the tiny, multicolored object sitting on the floor.  
All three stared at it like it was a sleeping grizzly bear and backed away slowly.  
"Could we poke it with a stick?" Haytham inquired, crossing his arms.  
"Do you see a stick anywhere in this vicinity?" Connor snapped. "Let's just leave it. Come on, we have to find Desmond anyway." Edward grasped Connor and Haytham's shoulders and pulled them back, and they raced down the isle, eager to out as much distance between them and the tiny flashing ball of doom.

***  
"What's this?"  
"That's gum, Ezio."  
"What's that over there?"  
"That's a gaming system, Ezio."  
"What's a-"  
"Why don't you just go try a sample over there? Ever had a cupcake?" Rebecca tiredly asked. Desmond chuckled as he pushed the metal thing he had taken from beside the entrance.  
"They're really good."  
"Alright..." Ezio nodded and trotted to the woman behind the funny looking stand. She smiled at him and motioned to the tiny 'cupcakes' in front of her.  
"Care for one?"  
"Um..." He tentatively picked on up and studied it.  
"What? Never seen one before?"  
Maybe saying 'no, he hadn't'- the honest truth- was a bad idea.  
He nodded. "This just looks... good..."  
He hoped it was the right thing to say, and put it in his mouth, looking down as he ate.  
"Like it? There's more where that came from."

***  
Altaïr and Arno wandered through the rows or tall, giant sized 'fridges'- Altaïr had to explain the concept of a fridge to Arno, and he felt so proud he knew something the other Assassin didn't- and tried to search for Desmond.  
"Where the hell can one man and woman go in just a few minutes?" He growled, as they turned down another isle.  
"This place goes on forever..." Arno stopped and crouched by one of the clear door, pressing his hand against it. "I wonder what Pizza Rolls are."  
"I wonder what pizza is." Altaïr went back to him and analyzed the bright yellow bag through the glass. "They don't look very good."  
"They look squishy." Arno replied.  
"They look like pig guts."  
"Why do you think they're kept so cold?"  
"Maybe they'll melt, like ice."  
"Maybe." Arno said contemplatingly. He finally straightened and sighed, scanning the rows of icy boxes and bags. "Let's go back to looking for Desmond and Rebecca, before I'm tempted to try any of this food."

***  
That lady never went away.  
Jacob tried to ignore her at first, but the more he ignored, the more she persisted.  
"Sir, would you like to-"  
"No means no, can you get out of my face?"  
"But-"  
"Here, you want money?" He pulled a few shillings from his pocket and tossed it at her, scowling. "Now, can you leave me alone-"  
"Can I ask where the hell you got those? That's not money; is this some kind of joke?"  
"What do you mean, that's at least eight shillings."  
"Shillings." She stared at him, eyebrows arched. "You're messing with me."  
"No, are shillings not-"  
"Jacob!" Rebecca came around the corner and gave a loud, relieved sigh. "We've been looking all over for you."  
"Can you tell her I've given her perfectly good money-"  
"I swear to you, I'm really sorry." Rebecca turned to the lady and picked up the shillings, then handed them to Jacob. "He's got a mild mental retardation issue.... and, he's just used to being in England-"  
"I am not retarded!-" What did retarded mean again? It meant stupid... Right? Damn it.  
"I said mild, Jacob- look, I'm really sorry, the wheel's turning, but the hamster's dead, if you catch my drift."  
"Um..." The lady shrugged and then nodded, and began to take her leave. "Yeah... no problem." She waved to Jacob and disappeared into another row of the building.  
"Now, come here, you retard." Rebecca said jokingly, tugging his arm and moving through the store with rapid speed, especially for her stature.

***  
Haytham was the first to stumble against the little metal cart thing, breathing hard. Desmond stared at him, stunned.  
"Where did you guys-"  
"Nowhere... we were just looking for you..." Haytham murmered, just as Edward and Connor ambled up, panting.  
"Okay, well, we're ready to go. So... Where the hell... Ezio! Where were you?"br /> The gold -eyed man paced behind Desmond, shrugging. When Desmond put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving, he thrummed his fingers against his thigh and tapped his foot, grinning constantly.  
"Justhavingasamplelikeyousaid-"  
"Whoa...and I mean whoa." Desmond gripped his shoulder more tightly. "Slow down, there."  
"Just had a sample like you said." Ezio repeated.  
"Can I ask you how many?"  
Ezio shook his head, a little too quickly. "Don't know. Maybe five. No... eight? Nine. I think it was nine. The lady had to go for a minute, and she left them out."  
"Okay..." Desmond frowned. "Well, I need you to stay by me and the cart. You've got a sugar high; it'll go away in a few minutes." He turned back to Haytham. "Did you speak to anyone, touch anything, break anything?"  
"No." It pained him to lie- but the incident had seemed rather embarrassing.  
"Better not have.... or I'll get the truth eventually." Desmond grinned and nodded. "Well, Rebecca's off to find Altaïr and Arno, and then we'll go."  
"Where did you get the samples, Ezio, what were they?" Haytham asked the seemingly-elated Ezio.  
He shook his head and grinned. "We'vepastthestandnow-"  
"Slow down, please."

***  
She found them- dragging a tired looking Jacob behind her- wandering the isle labeled 'desserts'.  
"Oh, good. You guys found it for me. I'll grab some of this...." She pulled open the glass door (The air that whoosed out was so cold, and Altaïr semed to love it.) and held up a box that read 'Vanilla ice cream'. "This'll do it. Come on, guys, Desmond just texted me that he's waiting for us at checkout."  
"Checkout?" Altaïr questioned.  
"Texted?" Arno piped up, trotting up beside her. "What's that mean?"  
"Well... I mean... He... It's really.... Complicated."  
Elise said that a lot; when she did, Arno had learned to let the topic drop and merely follow like a loyal young puppy.

***  
Edward did not anticipate the sudden scream of the 'detectors', as Rebecca called them.  
Smuggling a bottle of rum from a pub in Havana was easy enough, but taking a little chocolate bar- he was hungry- seemed to set off a chain reactions of alarms.  
"Um.. guys." Desmond turned back as they made their way into the sunlight. "Who stole something? Fork it over. Now."  
No one made a move, so Edward reluctantly slid the bar from his pocket and handed it to him.  
Desmond smacked him on the head with it and walked back inside. A few loud voices ensued, but finally Desmond came back, brow furrowed.  
"Do something like that again, and you won't be let off so easy next time. I got the brunt of your lecture."  
Edward didn't know where to be grateful or put to shame by Jacob's silent laughter.

***  
On the ride home, Haytham pulled a chocolate bar- just like the one Edward had taken- and slowly unwrapped it.  
"Haytham..." Connor began, staring hungrily at the bar.  
"Where did you get that?" Arno finished.  
Ezio had fallen asleep against the back of the seat- originally, his head had been resting on Jacob's shoulder, but the Assassin had irritatedly pushed him off. He seemed to have lost his 'sugar high' and was now in a 'sugar low'.  
"You're all amatuers. The person 'rang up' the items Desmond thought with a little device. There's a sticker on the items, the black and white line. All I did was peal it off."  
Altaïr nudged him. "Aren't you going to share?"  
"Please do." Edward groaned. "I'm hungry."  
"He is a Templar...." Arno murmured. "So technically it's okay to beat him up for the chocolate."  
"Just watch how fast I'll unman you." Haytham growled.  
"I don't see an issue with it." Connor said dryly.  
"I'm warning you...." Haytham continued, drawing the chocolate closer to himself.  
"Maybe we could talk him into it." Altaïr replied. "Can you give us a piece?"  
"Why not just take it, you wimps." Jacob asked openly. "Get the chocolate!"  
"No, don't-"  
The Assassins lunged at him, hands and mouths eager for the chocolate.


	14. Chapter 14

Neither Desmond nor Rebecca dared ask why the Assassins all crept from the back of the car onto Shaun's driveway licking their fingers and eating small pieces of chocolate (Judging by the way Haytham irritatingly shrugged off their questioning looks, and the truimphant glances of the others, they guessed he had somehow gotten a bar from the store, and been bombarded for it.) and grinning from ear to ear.  
They headed inside to a half awake William Miles cursing at the T.V. about something to do with politics, and a very nervous Shaun Hastings.  
He flitted around the door and slammed it shut as soon as Rebecca slipped inside, then paced in front of it, shaking his head.  
The Assassins stood in the middle of the kitchen, flicking their eyes back and forth and watching the British man murmur to himself.  
Finally Shaun flapped his hands hurriedly and gestured to Desmond and Rebecca. He shook his head to the Assassins and Haytham, who glowered at them from his position at the table.  
"Go on, get out. Go join William at the T.V.  
They nodded reluctantly and filed out, looking back with curious eyes.  
"Just leave, guys." Rebecca snapped, when Edward and Altaïr chose to linger near the door.  
"But-" The Welshman opened his mouth to retort, but Altaïr grasped his arm tightly.  
"Best we listen to them."  
Edward scowled and complied, slamming the door shut behind him.  
"Now," Shaun began. "Abstergo is getting desperate...."

***  
"What's he saying?" Arno murmured.  
"Shut up!" Jacob whispered loudly, boxing him on the arm.  
Ezio silenced both of them with a wave of his hand and kneeled by the door, pressing his head against the wood. Their words were low and urgent, but he could just make their voices out if the others would be quiet.  
".... Helicopters and searchlights...." Shuan's worried voice seemed to grow louder.  
"What do you mean? They're looking for them?"  
"I'm afraid so, Desmond. We're going to have to get them back to their respective memories before the sweep reaches this part of town."  
"Um, wait a minute, you said they were on 44th street a few hours ago, moving at about three or four houses an hour?"  
"Yes, yes."  
"Shaun, you idiot! That leaves us with half an hour before they get here!"  
"Oh, fuck." Desmond groaned.  
Ezio was shoved forward so hard against the wall he felt an explosion across his skull, and when he finally cleared his mind, he cursed to himself in Italian.  
Jacob and Edward were at it again, and both Connor and Altaïr held the backs of their shirts, tugging with all their might.  
"You're going to get us caught!" Haytham hissed. "That's enough of this-"  
Connor let go of Edward's shirt at just the right time, and he lunged forward, cracking his head sharply against Jacob's.  
Both men moaned and slumped over, their fight ceasing.  
Connor and Altaïr suppressed a laugh and gently moved them aside, then beckoned for Ezio to keep listening.  
"Let's go get them right now. We'll wait till the sweep is over, then go down to the river and loop around the city through the countryside. We'll get them back within a week's time." Rebecca said.  
Ezio gestured wildly to the others, who fled the hallway, as quietly as they could.  
He then scrambled away, just as the door opened wide.

***  
"We need to get you sectioned off into different parts of the house." Rebecca said. "We've explained the situation, so now all we need is for you guys to beas quiet as you've ever been. Ezio, Arno, Jacob and Altaïr, we need for you to go down to the basement, William and Desmond will stay down there with you and help you hide. The rest of you, we have a pretty big walk in closet in Shaun's room. We'll be at the front, but don't come out for anything, here me?"  
The Assassins and Templar nodded, then hurried to their positions, their footsteps light against the floor.  
Connor swore to himself as Edward's elbow dug into his side, and he elbowed the captain back. Haytham kneeled at the front, his forehead against the door and he listened for the sounds of the 'sweep'.  
The closet went dark and silent, save the sound if his own breathing in his ears.  
"Ma'am, have you seen these people? Haytham, Connor, and Edward Kenway, as well as Ezio Auditore and Altaïr Ibn- La'Ahad..... relatives of a man named Desmond Miles, whom we have an arrest warrant for. They may be accompliced by Jacob Frye and Arno Dorian....They are wanted for severe cyber crimes against Abstergo Industries. Theft, destruction of proeptery included."  
"No, I haven't."  
"Ma'am, don't give me that shit. You know who they are, and we know who you are."  
"What-"  
"Rebecca Crane, is it?"  
"How-"  
"Listen to me. You know of the Assassins and Templars. Give us the Assassins and you and your friend here will not be killed."  
Connor stiffened and balled his fists, adjusting his position on the wall. Beside him, Edward stifled a cough into his arm and cursed himself in a low voice.  
"Mister Shaun Hastings, this is your residence, not the woman's. If you've nothing to hide, it will show with a search."  
"All due respect, sir, this is-"  
"We have a warrant."  
"Well, devil's end, please enter."  
Shit.

***  
Templars.  
They were Templars.  
Haytham looked back one last time and sighed quietly, then stood in the closet, his hands on the door.  
"What are you doing?" Edward grabbed his leg and shook his head. "Sit back down, you idiot!"  
Haytham slowly shook his head and pried Edward's fingers from around his calf.  
Before any of the Assassins could do anything about it, he pushed the door open and lunged forward, into the light.  
Connor and Edward immediately tackled him and pressed him against the floor, trying to cover Haytham's mouth before he could alert the men to their position in the house.  
Too late.  
Haytham let out a strangled yowl and set upon Connor, struggling under the combined weight of him and Edward.  
The men burst in (They wore dark clothes and carried large rifles that were black and made of metal) and shouted for them to stop before they were shot.  
Haytham punched Edward- reluctantly, it was difficult to punch your own father when he was supposed to be dead a long time ago- and was about to try and throw Connor off when there was a loud crack.  
Connor yelped and slumped against him, something warm oozing from his arm, just above his elbow.  
Edward stopped fighting at the noise and lay in the floor next to Haytham, breathing hard.  
"Devil curse you, mate. I still don't take you for your word, but you're no spawn of mine."  
Even as the men in dark clothes checked Connor's wound, then tied their wrists behind their backs and led them away- Much to Shaun and Rebecca's vocal, and almost violent discontent- the only thing Haytham felt was the sting of being disowned.  
In a way, it was worse than the regret.

***  
Edward kept his head down as they were pushed out the door and down the gray, smooth 'driveway', as Shaun called it.  
There were big black carriages placed on the black street, the back doors open. Even when they were being led to the carriage, Edward could hear Shaun, and Rebecca arguing and cursing and swearing at the men in blue, and at some point he even heard the smack of metal hitting skin.  
And all he could focus on was the rage he felt at Haytham.  
Taken for a fool, all of them, by that fucking Templar.  
They should never have trusted him; and yet here, Edward remembered vaguely taking Haytham for a friend. With different loyalties that didn't reall matter in this strange new world... a curt and restrained one (Not to mention maddeningly quiet at times.) but a friend.  
No son of his was to be a Templar, anyway.

***  
"What's going on up there?" William whispered.  
"We need to be quiet." Altaïr reminded him, crouching by Arno. "Did you hear them?"  
Arno nodded, then pointed to Ezio, who paced by the door, his golden gaze darting up to it every now and then.  
"We have to get out of here." William murmured.  
Altaïr agreed with him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a fan; I can fit just about anyone from Assassin's Creed into this storyline. ;) It's no trouble to add him in, I have an idea for how he'll be involved. It starts with going back to the underground facility..

The supervisor frowned as they brought a doped up Shay into the observation room used by Ezio, then tossed the Irishman onto the bed.  
"Wait, why's he here?" A tech asked him. "Aren't they still looking for the others?"  
"I'm still pissed that happened." He growled. "But I don't know why. They found Edward, Connor, and Haytham, they'll be brought back to the interrogation room."  
"You still didn't answer my question," She said accusingly. "He's a Templar/Assassin, you know."  
"I'm fully aware. You know he's quite good at loosening tongues, and his demeanor is far from gentle, so if we can't wrestle some answer from them, Cormac will."  
"But won't we have to explain to him what's going on?"  
"Yeah, when we he's awake I'll head inside and explain the situation. But for now we need to make sure there are no side affects."  
"He'll probably be fascinated with that light."  
"No kidding."

 

***  
It wasn't cold anymore.  
Shay rolled over on the ground and-  
This was not the frozen patch of dirt he had found over the docks while the Morrigan was being repaired.  
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to block out the bright light that was pervading his peaceful darkness, but it refused to go away. Morning already?  
Wait.  
Something wasn't right.  
Shay forced his eyes open and sat up, swinging his head around the room. He was on a bed with white sheets that were surprisingly soft, in a white room with a door on one side, painted a light gray.  
The room and the bed were strange enough, but what caught his attention was the miniaturized sun above his head.  
Shay squinted at it and was forced to look down as it flashed in his eyes, glowing a brilliant white that wavered and dimmed unexpectedly.  
Shay nearly fell off the bed when something behind the door creaked, and a man crept in, wearing odd clothes that looked far less comfortable than his own black and red robes and armor.  
With that thought, Shay was reminded that he was unarmed, and clenched both fists, preparing himself for a fight.  
"No need for that, buddy." The man said.  
"Who are you? Where am? How did I-"  
"My name is Kyle, and that's all you need to know. You are here under Abstergo Industries, because we have a little.... mission for you."  
"That doesn't answer my-"  
"Relax. I can't really explain how you got here, I don't know that myself." Kyle said. "I can assure you, though, it's Templar matters."  
Okay.  
That solved the 'loyalties' question.  
"What do you need me for?" Shay decided to see what they wanted from him, then try and make his escape. It didn't matter if they were Templars, the whole place, the clothes, the weird sun above his head.... it was off to him.  
"We have a couple of Assassins, and another Templar-you're well familiar with him, I'm sure- who aren't too keen to give us answers to certain questions."  
"And....?"  
"We want you to get them to talk."  
"Why me?"  
"You're pretty good at loosening lips, we both know that."  
But..... Shay had always been told by the mislead Assassin mentors that his ways were sometimes questionable. But... Not 'ruthless' questionable. Too gentle. Too understanding. Once Liam used the word 'reluctant'.  
"We're even prepared to give you a weapon and turn our backs for a while, if need be."  
And, without even realizing the possibility of Shay escaping, Kyle just gave him the golden key to walk right out.  
"I'll do it..." He said quickly. "But I need that weapon. My tongue isn't smooth and my knuckles are fucked up after a run in with Assassins."  
There was his lie.  
"Alright.... Well, we're going now, then."  
There was his chance to escape.  
"But you can't come... look, it's complicated. You gotta be asleep for this to work. I mean, just drugged so you don't have a spaz attack or something about the light bulbs and the computers.... you know, basic stuff."  
And there was the kicker.  
"Computer and light- whats?"  
"Never mind, trust me, I can't explain that for the world." Kyle pulled his hand from behind his back, where it had been the entire time. In it he clutched what look like sewing needle attached to a thin tube filled with water, a small stick in the back, where his thumb was pressed. "Hold out you arm."  
Shay glared at him.  
"Come on, one quick jab and you'll be out like a li-torch."  
Shay kept his arms at his side. "No. You're not poking me with that thing."  
"Give. Me. Your. Arm." Kyle lurched forward, throwing himself onto Shay before the Irishman could do anything about it. Shay yelped as the needle-thing sank through his clothes, stinging his shoulder. Kyle yanked it out and pushed him back onto the bed, backing away.  
"Really sorry about that. Should have given me your arm, Shay...."  
His head began to nod and his eyes began to close, a heavy darkness filling his mind. Shay struggled to sit up, and bent over the side of the bed, his hands limply on his knees.  
"Just give it a few minutes."  
"I won't..."  
Shay felt his eyes close completely and tipped forward toward the smooth white floor, his mind going blank before he finished his sentence.

***  
Haytham kept his head down.  
These Templars weren't like the others. They wanted to know everything that had to do with Precursors, and they were getting pushy.  
Beside him, Connor and Edward sat with their heads bowed as well, as though they were trying to tune out the voices of the men and women before them, asking questions, making threats when no one replied.  
They were back in the interrogation room, as it was called, with the sandbags and the lights that were blue.  
"This is all your fault, you bastard. When I get the chance, I'll-"  
"It's pointless to continue with that, Connor." Edward whispered. "Just ignore him."  
Haytham looked up just as the door was shoved open, and five men entered, lugging a large man dressed in black and red clothes, the familiar armor and insignia emblazoned on his chest.  
Shay.  
Haytham pushed himself off the sandbag, but someone slammed his shoulders so he was pushed back down, and the men above them began repeating their questions with increasingly loud voices.  
"Guys, drop the questions. Shay knows what we want, he'll help us." The man now known as Kyle said, as the other five people tossed Shay against on of the sandbags. "Let's get out of here and let him do the work."  
"Is he armed?" Someone asked.  
"Hidden blades, only one on his arm. He's got no chance of escaping. Not with his loyalties, not with those odds, not with that blade."  
The people cleared out the room, including Kyle, and huddled outside, peering in.  
"I'm going to see if he's awake." Edward stood up and moved past Connor and Haytham, one hand curled into a fist. Haytham reached out and wrapped his fingers around his father's arm, shaking his head.  
"Don't."  
"Let go of me, you gutless coward!" Edward wrenched his arm away and began to stalk toward Shay, both fists up.  
"He's a Templar, and he's far bigger than you, Father." Haytham growled, letting the name slip.  
Edward stiffened and turned around, his blue eyes narrowed. "What did you call me?"  
Haytham stood up- he was slightly taller than Edward- and ignored the sting of Connor's eyes against his back.  
"I called you Father."  
"I don't know where that petty delusion came up," Edward spat. "But you ain't my son. Drop the matter, lad."  
Haytham shrugged, both hands up. "It's you who's at fault, Father."  
"Call me that again, and I'll fill your mouth with shot."  
"Alright. Father." Haytham said again, crossing his arms.  
Behind him, he heard Connor shift on the sandbag-he knew Edward wanted a fight.  
"What did you say?"  
"I see no shot here, Father. This room is bland."  
"I'm going to-"  
"Edward...." Connor said quietly. "Maybe he's right. I have always been told my grandfather was a seafaring man. A privateer in the West Indies."  
"That could be anyone." Can the cold reply.  
"Than it could also be you."  
Haytham knew what he had done at Shaun's house was a mistake. There wasn't any going back now, and although he was alright simply being in his father's presence, he desperately needed to know if there was some glimmer of recognition in those blue eyes.  
Eyes Haytham hadn't seen since he was nine years old, in that fucking game room.  
Edward was about reply when Shay gave what could be called a harsh yell, and stood up, rubbing his eyes with both hands.

***  
Connor narrowed his eyes at the man in red and black, then caught Edward's eye and shook his head.  
The Welshman closed his mouth and followed Haytham's gaze to the man, who now stood up, his height nearly topping theirs.  
"Haytham, haven't seen you in a while." He said slowly.  
He had a rough voice, with a heavy Irish accent that roiled and tossed his words from clear and curt to accented and distant.  
"How fares Gist and the Morrigan?" Haytham asked, ignoring Edward's wide eyed glance.  
Connor stood and pushed Edward and Haytham aside, the jerked his chin to the man.  
"What loyalty?"  
"You're an Assassin." The man rumbled.  
"And he's a Templar." Connor replied. "Tell me."  
"Do I need to explain?" The man asked, and tapped his chest.  
Connor dropped his gaze and stared at the Templar cross, wondering how he missed it before.  
"Get away from them, Connor." Edward broke the tense silence between the two and gestured to the man in red and black, who now stood beside a smug looking Haytham.  
"Who are you?" Connor asked quietly.  
"Shay Patrick Cormac, that's who I am. And what of you louts?"  
Edward tensed, and Connor stepped in front of him to stop the captain from attacking Shay. "My name is Connor... Kenway. This is Edward, of the same last name."  
"Connor.... you look like Haytham, and he looks an awful lot like the British man."  
"I'm Welsh." Edward retorted.  
"Kenways, all of you. Any relation?"  
Connor was hesitant to answer, but he nodded. "Haytham is my father."  
"You mean to tell me you spent a night in the forest with an Indian?" Shay's shoulder shook with suppressed laughter and he shook his head.  
"Yes." Haytham said sharply. "And it lasted far longer than a night."  
"Where does he came in?" Shay seemed to sober and looked toward Edward.  
"He's my father." Haytham said in a low voice, avoiding Edward's gaze.  
"Where the hell did you come up with brown hair, and gray eyes, then?" Shay questioned further, his eyes darting between Edward and Haytham with genuine confusion.  
Connor felt his temper begin to rise and stepped forward. "You are armed with Hidden Blades, by those Templars outside. Do you plan to use them?"  
"If I have to." Shay growled. "I was told to loosen your lips for the answers as to the location of those Pieces."  
"You won't get them." Connor murmured. "So now what?"  
"Well... I don't fancy helping that bastard Kyle anyway-"  
"We need to get out of here." Edward stated simply.

***  
He knew they all agreed. Even Haytham (Edward was beginning to consider the possibility of the man being his son, and if he was, maybe he could ask why Haytham was so bent on proving it.) and Shay, whoever he was.  
"We're armed with only one Hidden Blade, and you expect us to go against all those people?" Connor asked.  
"Yeah, I do." Edward replied. "I remember the way out. We've all sparred at least once in our lives, right? So we have a chance.... being Templars, though... we'll split up once we reach outside. Me and Connor will find Desmond and Rebecca, and you two see if you can arrange some sort of living area for us to work when we're not traipsing about this city."  
"You mean an inn?" Shay asked. "That will require money."  
Haytham held up both hands and grinned. "Money is of no problem when you can slip something right from under the devil's nose."  
"When will we strike?" Connor asked.  
"Before they come back in. Or maybe...." A plan formed feverishly on Edward's mind, the pieces falling together like parts of a puzzle.

***  
"They have Edward, they have Connor, and they have Haytham." William repeated, slamming his fist into the wall.  
Shaun seemed to have a panic attack. "Don't do that! Hit the wall again and it'll leave a big hole!"  
"That's the least of our worries," Rebecca barked. "We need to get back to the Abstergo building."  
"Hello?" Jacob growled, waving his arms. "Are we not here? Did we get taken, too? What can we do to help?"  
"Go eat some ice cream." Desmond remarked.  
"Don't be glib, son."'William snapped, turning to Jacob, and the other Assassins behind him. "We'll find them, don't worry, and then you'll go back to your memories."  
"Our memories?" Arno asked. "What are you-"  
"Look, never mind." William replied, leaning against the wall. "Clear out of the kitchen, guys. Maybe Desmond will actually give you some of his ice cream."  
"No way."  
"Desmond, right now we really need that distraction, so go feed them some fucking ice cream." Rebecca sighed.  
"Fine, fine." He sighed, pushing past his father toward the fridge. "Follow me, guys. We're about to freeze your brains."

***  
Each of them were given one ceramic bowl and a metal spoon, then instructed to sit at the table and be quiet while the others talked.  
Altaïr had no idea what ice cream was, and judging by the completely shocked look that Arno bore after taking a bite, it was true to its name.  
He stabbed it with his spoon and watched with wide eyes as it splattered against the side of the bowl, white drops rolling off it.  
This should be interesting, he thought.

***  
Arno wondered why it was so cold, he wondered why it tasted like vanilla, he wondered why it was so sticky, and he wondered why Desmond and the others huddled away from them, speaking in low voices.  
"They're treating us like children." Jacob muttered, poking at his 'ice cream'.  
"You think so?" Altaïr asked. "I agree with you, they aren't being very informative."  
"Maybe." Ezio said contemplatively. "They just huddle in that corner and talk about what happened, at whispering levels."  
"What did happen, anyway?" Arno asked, lowering his voice. "How did they find the Kenways?"  
"Haytham was with them, you know." Ezio said. "Those men were Tenplars, and where there's a will, there's a way."  
"That's not always true." Arno replied. "Think about it-"  
He stopped as soon as he realized Ezio had dropped his spoon and stared at the bowl of ice cream in front of him with wide, terrified eyes.

***  
Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to try to fit three bites of that good, cold stuff on one spoon.  
A dull throb attacked his head, and the inner part of his mouth, and he froze, gazing with pure hatred at the bowl before him. He dimly noticed Arno had stopped talking, and that they were all staring at him.  
"Ezio?" Altaïr asked softly. "Are you all right?"  
"What happened?" Desmond broke away from the others and tapped Ezio's shoulder.  
When he didn't respond, he hauled off and thumped his back. "Come on, what.... oh..."  
"Can he speak?" Jacob asked. "What's wrong?"  
"He's got a freakin' brain freeze. Give it five, four, three, two, one..."  
The 'brain freeze' wore off when he said 'one', and Ezio nearly laughed with relief.  
Then he realized he didn't have to.  
The others did it for him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a fan; WHOA TYSM! :D I'm glad you like the story that much! The update times may get a little irregular because my tablet's having mood swings -_-  
> PoisonHw; When I first heard Ezio's name in III (I haven't yet played the first two, but I'm working on that) it struck me as playful. So I figured he gets the best reactions.

Shay slammed Connor against the wall, shaking him vigorously.  
"Tell them where the fucking Apple is!" He shouted.  
Connor shook his head. "They intend to use it for-"  
Shay grasped his jaw, then shoved his head as hard as he could against the wall, cursing.  
The Native yelped and went limp, his head hanging forward.  
His chest was still.  
Immediately the glass door was pushed open, and Shay turned on his heel, looking back as Edward and Haytham lunged from their positions behind the wall and attacked the people in their odd clothes, beating them with their fists, or in Haytham's case, the Hidden Blade.  
When the few men and women were taken care of, Shay held out his hands and helped Connor to his feet.  
"Hang me," Edward peered out the door, then looked back inside and grinned. "It worked."  
"Of course it worked." Haytham said. "Let's leave before any more come."  
"Please," Edward scoffed back. "These people have no muscle whatsoever."  
"Enough bickering," Connor snapped. "My father is right. We need to go."  
He made his way to the door, then tapped Edward's shoulder. "You remember the way?"  
"Yeah." The Welshman lead the way to the exit, instructing them to be quiet or he'd kneecap them.

***  
Haytham kept the pace behind Shay, glancing back every now and then to make sure Connor as right behind him.  
Sure enough, his son would look at him and motion to look forward, then peer behind him like he was afraid of any guards.  
Eventually they came to a corridor he recognized, the same one they had used to escape.  
Connor gave a quiet hoot and pushed past the Templars, clapping Edward on the shoulder.  
"Did he just-"  
"Let it go, Shay."  
"But he-"  
"Shay."  
The Irishman dropped the matter and held open the door while they crept through, marveling in silence at the polished wood.  
When they finally made it outside, Haytham couldn't help but stop again and take in the city before him. Behind him, at the stairs, Shay cursed and gazed out at the world with wide eyes.  
"That's not supposed to be...."  
"That big." Edward looked back and grinned. "Sure is. Let's get out of here before they realize we're missing."  
"The rooftops." Haytham pointed toward the ledges on the buildings. "They surely can't fly."  
"Then what's that?" Connor motioned up at the sky at the hum of something huge. Something metal.  
Something flying through the air.

***  
A seagull, he could understand.  
A rock, he could understand.  
But a flying contraption that looked like both?  
Edward stared up at the thing, oblivious to the nervous glances around the people in the crowds around them.  
"Father..." Haytham gently nudged his shoulder and motioned to the passerbys. "Those people could recognize us."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
He even ignored the 'Father' name.  
Shay waved off the stare of a young man and frowned. "We have to go. Now."  
"Why.... oh, shit." Edward realized Shay was still in the Templar armor, the red and black had such a conspicuous quality it was only a matter of time.... not even. Shay maybe had a few seconds.... before someone decided he was an escaped prisoner.  
"The rooftops," Connor began, "were a good idea."

***  
Maybe it was a bad idea to suggest they were a good route to take.  
Connor nearly slipped and tightened his grip on the ledge, glaring up at Shay's boots.  
"Can you go any faster?" He snapped.  
The wind kicked up and pushed against him; he heard Edward swear several times over far above him.  
"Almost to the rooftop." Haytham shouted down.  
He may have been nimble in the heavy Templar armor, but even now his father was even faster, climbing the stone building with a speed even Edward seemed to lack.  
Connor gritted his teeth and forced his hands to stay in place, then he adjusted his feet and prepared to grasp the next handhold.  
Maybe he could grab Shay's ankle and use that.  
Connor entertained himself with the idea of messing with a Templar while he worked.

***  
"Look at his neck." Altaïr chuckled and pointed to Jacob (The Assassin had fallen asleep on the couch with his head tilted all the way back, his Adam's Apple bobbing with each breath) then nudged Ezio.  
"That's so weird." The Italian grinned and nodded to Arno, who sat on the floor, playing that game 'Call of Duty'. Judging by the amount of French cursing and insults going on, he wasn't winning or even enjoying the match.  
"I know what you're thinking." Arno said, without even looking up. "And I'm not helping you, not even when he's about to rip off your heads."  
"Which one of us should do it?" Ezio said. "One of us does it, then we run."  
"He's going to pounce on whoever does it."  
"I have an idea." Ezio slid off the couch and padded to the glass door- he had to reach out and knock his knuckles against it to make sure it was there- then gave a low hoot to him. "Get him in the neck, then jump behind the couch. I'll pretend I did it."  
"By the glass.... oh, you're such an idiot." Arno chuckled, then cursed and threw the remote down. "I'm just going to be an innocent bystander while he kills you."  
"I am not an idiot." Ezio retorted.  
Arno seemed to sober and frowned. "Never.... never mind. I shouldn't have called you that. Go ahead and prank him."  
Ezio and Altaïr shared a look, then Altaïr motioned to Ezio, and crept behind the couch.  
Ezio shut the glass door and stood in the grass, arms crossed.  
One...  
Two...

***  
"Gaah!"  
Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.  
Did that really have to matter when you had just been chopped in the neck?  
Jacob grabbed his throat and coughed, glaring at Arno, who sat on the floor, a smug grin dominating his face.  
"Arno... you better... tell me who did that-"  
Arno pointed at Ezio, who stood in the open door, grabbing his sides and nearly choking with laughter. He seemed to give up and crumpled to his knees, his shoulders shaking.  
Jacob hissed and dashed for the Italian, ready to wring his....  
Oh.  
Fuck.

***  
All he needed to hear was the clear 'bonk' of Jacob's forehead hitting the glass to know he was in the clear.  
Altaïr sprang up, saw the Englishan- he had knocked himself unconscious for the second time- and Ezio in the grass outside, then couldn't contain his laughter.  
Neither, apparently, could Arno.  
The Frenchman slapped his knee lightly and pointed at Jacob, then clapped his hands.  
"Maybe I underestimated you and Ezio." He said through chuckles. "Let me get in on a prank like that next time."  
"What happened in here?!"  
Well.  
It was funny until William arrived.

***  
Desmond, Rebecca, and Shaun knew exactly what had happened as soon as they heard the sound of Jacob hitting the glass, and then the explosion of laughter after it.  
William, obviously, had forgotten Jacob's- losing- war with glass doors.  
He raced into the room from where they were talking about how to infilitrate the Abstergo building after it happened, demanding to know who did it.  
Arno pointed to Altaïr, Altaïr pointed to Ezio, and Ezio pointed to Jacob, his mouth twitching. The Italian lay on the grass outside, erupting in fits of laughter whenever his gaze fell on Jacob's slumped form.  
"By God." Shaun said. "If he hits that glass again I'm buying him a bloody helmet."  
"Better make it sparkly and pink," Rebecca said.  
"With unicorns." Desmond added thoughtfully.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorceress_Supreme; You read all of this in one day? O.o that must have taken forever, thank you for sticking around! Also, I don't really know if Shay helped raise Arno. Arno may recognize him from somewhere, though ;)  
> PoisonHw; Definitely working toward the second one. I'm pretty sure it works for Windows 8 on PC.  
> BLACK_GEAR_026; That would be ironic. And horribly funny xD

"Now... ah, how're we supposed to get down?" Shay peered over the edge and swallowed. The building was far bigger than the highest trees and buildings he had climbed, and it was a long, long way down.  
"We can't." Edward said. Haytham paced near the edge, watching Connor climb. The Native had almost fallen once- he had grabbed and nearly broken Shay's ankle in the process- and his progress had been delayed,enough that while the rest hung around above, he was still working feverishly.  
"See the crack, use that." The Grandmaster instructed, crouching by the edge. Unlike Shay (and Edward, who stayed as far back from the ledge as possible, although he would never admit that he was afraid) he seemed unfazed by the height. "There's another one a few inches to the left of your hand."  
"I see it." Connor replied. His face appeared over the edge, and suddenly he let out a shrill cry.  
Shay jumped toward them, rushing to grab his hands so he didn't fall.

***  
Haytham didn't even bother to let Shay help him.  
He lunged forward and wrapped both hands tightly around Connor's forearm, even as he leaned at a precarious angle over the edge.  
"Father," Connor grunted, " You're going to fall."  
Haytham hissed through his teeth and reared back, feeling Shay grasp his shoulders and help with the effort. Beside him, Edward crouched, ready to help Connor up the rest of the way.  
Finally his son was wrestled onto the roof of the building, his breath quickened.  
"Why did you fall?" Edward asked. "The rest of us made it up here just fine."  
"He's bigger than you, Edward. I'm pretty sure you're the smallest of us here. As for Haytham and I, we've been doing this far longer." Shay said slowly, like Edward was stupid.  
Connor ignored the two and gazed at Haytham with a nervous look. He frowned and lowered his head, whispering something.  
Haytham definitely wasn't adept at the Mohawk language (Several times in the beginning of his relationship with her, Ziio had gone into an all-out tutoring session when he didn't know how to say 'yes' or 'no) but he had eventually learned a great deal from her.  
"What?" He asked, although he knew it probably would not evoke an answer.  
"Thank you." In Mohawk.... Connor looked up and nodded to Haytham.  
"Thank you." Haytham repeated to him, to show he understood.  
Up until that day, the only thing he had seen in Connor's eyes was anger and hatred.  
Both emotions were blunted by something else, a better one.

***  
His father, the one who taunted him and teased him, the one who had made several attempts to keep Charles Lee safe, the one who had willingly confessed he had 'had a taste of the forest fruits' so they could track a man down together....  
The one who was a Templar and had done nothing to stop the burning of his village, but showed regret all the same, had just saved his life.  
And damn near at the expense of his own.  
Even though Connor still did not fully trust Haytham or even love him entirely as a father, he did know that the man was trying to make him see the 'error of his ways'.  
Once, Ziio had told him that perception was everything. It guided where you walked, how you talked, who you talked to, where your aimed your bow, and where you set your trap. Haytham's perception was off, but it was everything he knew, and he was trying to help Connor is his own twisted way.  
Maybe the was hope for him as a father yet.

***  
Edward and Shay finished annoying each other and instead focused on the rooftops while Haytham and Connor had a 'Daddy-Son' moment.  
Honestly.  
Edward looked back for the second time, to find Haytham peering over the edge, while Connor stood with him, looking out over the city.  
"We can't make that jump. See the gap? It's at least.... Edward. Edward? Are you listening?" Shay asked.  
"Yeah, something about the gap."  
"We can't clear it. We'll have to find another way to your friends' house."  
"We can't afford to have you seen in that armor, Shay." Edward snapped. "Look at you, you're too tall to go unnoticed and your clothes a fucking beacon."  
"A beacon?" Shay scoffed back. "And what does that make you? A-"  
"That's enough." Haytham appeared beside both of them and grabbed their shoulders. "While you two were busy fighting, Connor found a way across. And it involved only the use of his eyes, surprisingly."  
Edward let the sarcasm slip and joined the others as they leapt across the small gap and began to work their way across the city, higher in the sky then they'd ever climbed before.

***  
Jacob was going to get them back.  
He didn't know when and he didn't know how, but he had a way with pranks (Evie had begun to give him three punches every time he attempted to prank her, and usually liked to try and knock out his teeth if it was successful) and nabbing Altaïr, the Greatest Assassin that Ever Lived, Ezio, the greatest Mentor that Ever Lived, and Arno, the Assassin that changed the French Brotherhood permanently seemed easy enough.  
Arno didn't like loud noises in the dark (he could kick the wall while his slept, it wasn't like Connor was there to stop him).  
Ezio really liked sugar (He had never had horehound candy, then).  
And Altaïr was fascinated with the things Shaun called 'light bulbs' (Maybe he could flick the 'ligthswitch' back and forth?) And so, even as Desmond and Rebecca called them to the other room to tell them they were going somewhere, Jacob formed his war tactics against the others.

***  
"It's just Ezio and Arno we're bringing." Shaun said. "William and Desmond will use a friends' vehicle to get you and Jacob in a few more hours so we can begin our search over the city for those servers."  
"Why can't Altaïr and I go?" Jacob asked.  
"Because you two have something to work out." Desmond seemed to be suppressing a laugh as he spoke. "And I'm buying you a helmet."  
"That's pink and sparkly." Rebecca added.  
Altaïr watched dim realization spread across the Englishman's face, then the horror as he fully understood the implication of the pink helmet.  
"Don't worry about it." William muttered quickly. "I'll make sure it's purple. You like the color black, no?"  
Jacob growled, and looked at him.  
"Altaïr...."  
"Uh, no." Altaïr raced out the door, jumping over the couch and stumbling into the next room. He slammed the door behind him and sat against it, alternating between laughs and curses.  
Jacob beat his fist against the door, the thunderous noise shaking the wood.  
"Open it! Maybe I'll spare your little d-"  
"Jacob! Use profanity one more time in this house, and it will be the last time you open your bloody mouth!" Shaun called from the other room.

***  
Arno lowered his head to cover his smirk and nudged Ezio with his arm.  
The Italian grinned and leaned against the wall, arms folded, while Desmond stalked into the other room to get Jacob to stop banging on the door.  
"You two are coming with me and Rebecca." Shaun said. "We're going down to the servers section the city."  
"But won't we be caught?" Ezio asked honestly.  
"No." Shaun replied. "We're going where no one dares to go anymore."  
"The broken down part of the city." William added. "Lots of graffiti, mud, and pointless, century old machinery. But that's the thing. Those pointless old machines are actually Abstergo's well-disguised Templar servers. We want to hack into Abstergo Industries and strip their files of any mention of you. Without proof, you can't legally be detained if they capture you. The cops will be on our side, and we can get the others away from them."  
"I have no idea what that word means." Arno said. "Hack? Servers? Graffiti?"  
"Um..." Shaun shrugged. "Just dismiss everything he said. You won't really understand."

***  
"- But he-"  
"Jacob, you really should calm down. I don't think he was serious." Ezio began, as Desmond dragged the very distressed Englishman into the room.  
"Purple! Purple for fuck's sake." Jacob groaned. "And now I'm stuck here with him while you get to go traipsing about the city."  
"Not nessascarily." Arno said. "Apparently we're going someplace worse."  
"Where?" Jacob asked, glaring at Ezio.  
"Machinery hell." Shaun answered.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorceress_Supreme; And wrestling, he'd probably get overly pumped about that xD

"Shay..." Connor grabbed the Irishman's arm, pulling him down, and Haytham and Edward followed suit, flattening themselves against the warm roof of the building.  
"What is that?" Edward whispered.  
Coming toward them, over the rooftops and beyond the dimming sunlight, a big, black metal bird soared easily toward them.  
Or was it a bird?  
It lacked wings, but had a long, slender form, and on the top of it, keeping it aloft, four large slabs of metal spun at a dizzying speed, the movement emitting a faint 'whup-whup' noise.  
Emblazoned on the side was a triangle that was red, yellow, and blue, and blue lettering that clearly stated; Abstergo Industries.  
"They want us back." Shay murmured. "And apparently they can fly. Am I drunk? I think I'm drunk."  
"We need to get off this rooftop." Haytham rose to a crouching position and eyed the bird as it flew toward them. "Now would be a good time to do it."  
"And how are we going to get down? Not to mention Mr. Beacon, right here." Edward jerked his thumb at Shay, who promptly smacked the Assassin on the back of the head.  
"That's enough. Look for bushes or trees, anything we can catch. Even water will suffice." Connor moved to the edge and paced along the rooftop, hurriedly sweeping his gaze along the ground.  
Ever closer the bird neared, the steady 'whup-whup' growing louder.  
Suddenly Connor spread his arms, put his feet together, and tipped forward, disappearing over the ledge, the wind whistling past him.  
"Connor!" Haytham spring to the edge and looked down, like he wanted to jump after his son.  
Shay grabbed his arm and shook his head.  
"No, don't-"  
"Just go!" Edward shoved both of them forward, and before the two could let go of each other, they were tumbling through the air.

***  
Something heavy on top of him.  
Haytham pushed at it with his fist, and it grunted and swore at him.  
Okay.  
That was Shay.  
Something soft beneath him.  
Haytham pressed his elbow to the soft thing and shuddered as it slipped against what appeared to be a banana peel.  
"Talley Ho!" Edward's faint voice met his ears and Haytham looked up, just in time to see his father slam into Shay.  
Shay, on top of that armor, weighed almost two hundred pounds (And it was oure muscle, leather and bone.) and the added weight of Edward at full speed knocked the wind out of him.  
He'd had enough of wind, enough to last him a few years.  
Edward rolled off Shay onto the opaque black bags that were either squishy or filled with something like wood, and helped him up, then gazed with remorse at Haytham.  
"Never again." Haytham growled flatly. "I'm not even going to ask what we just jumped into, as long as it got us away from the bird."  
"I don't think that's a bird." Connor's face appeared over the edge of the green box and he seemed disgusted by the smell (They all were, really) as he clambered back in. "And we're lucky we landed behind the buildings where no one will see us. I have some bad news for you, Shay."  
"I don't wanna hear it then-"  
"You're going to have to stay here while the rest of us steal enough money to get you some less noticeable clothes and let a room at an inn."  
"I know, I know...." Shay grumbled.  
Connor helped Haytham and Edward out of the big bin and they crept down the alley, ignoring Shay's irritated remarks about where they could go. Someplace hot and fiery, apparently. It rhymed with 'sell'.  
"Only take what we need." Connor said. "Two hundred of whatever the currency is here should be enough."  
"We don't even know what we're looking for?" Edward asked. He grinned mischieviously. "I can take as much as I want, then, and it will be fair."  
"That," Connor snapped. "Is exactly why I don't appreciate privateers."  
"Just let him be." Haytham said. "Spread out, but stay in this general area. Don't let anyone see you've taken anything."  
They reached the end of the alley and parted ways, ready to take only what they needed. (In Connor and Haytham's case.)

***  
Almost there, almost there.  
Edward inched forward, flexing his fingers. Just a little closer.  
And now he had fifty 'dollars'.  
At least, that was what the lady had said when he asked her what the currency was (She looked thoroughly confused as to why she didn't know, and he wasn't one for lengthy explanations) and the made off with ten dollars because she was sympathetic.  
"Yeah, tell him I'll buy some apples, too." The man said, turning around. He was holding a tiny black square to his ear, and spoke into it like he was talking to a real person.  
Edward turned his back and started in the opposite direction, slipping his prize into his pocket.  
Prizes (this newfangled money), plunder (stealing it was twice as fun as using it), and adventure (he had no idea where he was going to spend it, or how, for that matter).

***  
Connor hated it.  
He gritted his teeth and slipped the paper from the man's back pocket, crumbling it into his fist and smiling when the man turned around and glared at him.  
Then he resumed walking when he finally looked back, and Connor examined the paper.  
It had a picture of a man he didn't know, and a large 50 on all the corners, on a rough green colored surface.  
Odd.  
He caught Haytham's eye- Haytham stood near the alley entrance, his arms crossed, while Edward snuck up behind him, his intention of wanting to surprise Haytham clear- and nodded, working through the crowd toward him.  
He was within five feet of Haytham when Edward wrapped both arms around his chest.  
Haytham started violently and twisted, elbowing Edward in the face and then kneeing him in the stomach.  
All in less than ten seconds.  
Edward crumpled to the hard, gray stone ground, holding his stomach and hissing through his teeth.  
"Uh...." Connor pulled the horrified Haytham away from his father and the stares of the other people, then gently pushed him toward the alley. "Go check on Shay."  
Haytham nodded, still horrified, and started for the bin, calling out to the Templar.  
"Edward, people are staring." Connor whispered, crouching by the captain.  
Edward groaned and slowly stood up, shrugging off a few peoples' 'are you alright' questions.  
"Don't surprise him... or Shay." Connor muttered. "Templars are too used to assassination attempts. He probably thought you were going to kill him."  
"I think I've learned that." Edward replied curtly, rubbing his jaw. "Hurt like fucking hell."

***  
"Where are you going?" Altaïr asked, as Jacob slowly made his way to the glass door.  
The Englishman held both hands out in front of him and stared through the glass with a look of pure hate and determination, as though he was certain he wasn't going to ram it with his head.  
"Desmond told me there was a pool with water out there-"  
"I've stopped listening." Altaïr said dryly.  
"What? Why?" Jacob out his arms down and narrowed his eyes at Altaïr. "Wait a minute. Are you... you're scared of water."  
"I am not."  
"Do you not know how to swim? Hate fish or something?"  
"I am not afraid of water, Jacob."  
"No, no, that's surely not the issue. Where do you live, anyway?" Jacob asked sarcastically.  
"I live in the desert... not much of a swimming opportunity.... And I am not afraid of the water, if I say it one more time I'll slam your head against the glass door."  
"That's it! You just don't know how to swim." Jacob resumed walking toward the door with his hands out, his brow furrowed in a look of concentration.  
"Wha-No-I-"  
"Admit it." Jacob said, not looking away."Altaïr, the Assassin who changed the Order, lived in the desert and he couldn't swim. This is rich." His fingers touched the glass and he immediately heaved the door open, sticking his head out into the backyard and laughing.  
"That is not true. I'll prove it." Altaïr shoved past Jacob and marched into the backyard, scanning for a pool full of water.  
It was only a few feet against the wall- built to look like the ground, apparently- and he wondered how Ezio didn't see it. Maybe he was too busy laughing at Jacob.  
"See? I'm not afraid of it." Altaïr dipped his hand into the water and flicked it at Jacob.  
He scowled. "Anyone can do that. Bet you you can't swim."  
"I thought I made it clear I wasn't going to-"  
In his utter lack of attention to wear his feet were- Altaïr had turned his back on the pool and moved his foot back, searching for balance- he had found the wrong foothold, and it cost him greatly.  
Suddenly water was all around him, filling his mouth his ears, his eyes, his nose.  
Altaïr thrashed, squeezing his eyes shut and willing himself to hold his breath, but it was no use. He continued to panic until someone grabbed his arm, and his head broke the surface, air finally where he could breathe it.  
"Do me a favor and never nearly die again." Jacob hauled him out onto the grass and patted his back while Altaïr coughed and spat the remaining ater from his lungs.  
"Done."

 

***  
There were three reasons Jacob had pulled Altaïr from the water.  
One, he wasn't just A Master Assassin, he was THE Master Assassin, whether he knew it or not.  
Two, despite how irritated he made Jacob, the Assassin was like Evie was when he was growing up. Here to stay, and eventually he began to grow on you.  
Three, this was adequate payback for the neck-chop. It still made him wince to think of it.  
"Should we go back inside?"  
"You got both of us soaking wet." Jacob said bluntly. "We're going nowhere without Desmond or Shaun noticing."  
"Good point. So now what do we do?" Altaïr sat up and glared ruefully at the water, lapping serenely at the edge of the pool. "I guess... I can't swim." He said in a tiny voice.  
"I could teach you, but we don't have the time. And you don't have the balls, apparently."  
"I am man enough to jump into that water." Altaïr snapped.  
"You fell."  
"I jumped in."  
"You fell, Altaïr."  
"I was expecting my foot to be there, and expected to fall at that exact moment."  
"Yeah.... You fell....."

***  
Arno crossed his arms and nervously thrummed his fingers against his elbows, sighing. "How long does it take to get to the heart of the city?"  
"Yes..." Ezio wrapped both arms around his stomach and groaned. "Please, do tell us."  
"Only about half an hour." Rebecca's voice wafted from the front seat.  
"Don't tel me he's carsick again." Shaun said. "William is going to kill us."  
"Oh, relax." Rebecca looked back. "You good, Ezio?"  
"I'm not 'good'." The Italian replied. "This thing is so bumpy."  
"I can agree." Arno said. "It's far from comfortable."  
"It's actually nor a carriage. It's a car."  
"I was wondering where the horses were." Arno good naturedly patted Ezio's shoulder to make him feel better. "But what makes it run?"  
"A few screws and some oil." Shaun called back. "Doesn't run entirely smoothly, but it works. You see, there are several electrical components....."  
It seemed out help Ezio, listening to the British man's dull explanation, because he fell asleep with his head lolling against Arno's elbow.  
Arno wasn't one to wake someone up, and if the Assassin was 'carsick' it was probably better he slept, so he left Ezio's head where it was.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorceress_Supreme; They'll never get past Desmond and William :P  
> PoisonHw; I can relate to Ezio's falling asleep during lectures. It's easy to drift off.

"You're on room forty, third floor. Can I get a name? And why did you pay in cash?" The lady in the tight dress behind the counter- she sat with a big screen in front of her similar to a T.V., but smaller, and she had irritably shrugged off Edward's staring- gave Haytham a card that must have been made out of something more flexible than metal but stronger than wood and gestured off to the side for the others. He frowned and shrugged. Cash? What was... maybe it was the money she was referring to. But what did they need that wasn't 'cash'?  
"James... Kenway." He swiped Edward's middle name and watched as she frantically tapped it out on the board of buttons in front of her. Clack, clack, clack.  
As Shay and Connor ushered Edward off to where she had directed, the woman looked back at Haytham. Longer, and with wide eyes.  
"Uh... going on a trip or something?"  
Haytham cringed. "Yes.."  
"Are you brothers or something?"  
"Just friends."  
"Here to stay long?"  
"No."  
"Can I ask you something?"  
He remained silent, but gave a curt nod, shifting his eyes toward Shay, trying to deliver the message. Run if you have to.  
"You all look a lot like those guys on the news. Abstergo is looking for you..."  
"It's not us."  
"But-"  
"I can assure you." He said.  
"Okay..." The woman shrugged and motioned past him. "Anyone else?"  
He turned and brought the card back to the others, showing it to the others. "Room forty, is what she said. Third floor."  
"How are we going to-" Connor turned mid-sentance as something behind him pinged.  
A metal door slid open, and put came a tired looking dad with two children clinging to his legs, begging to stay longer.  
"Oh...." Shay. "That."  
"Isn't there another way up?" Edward asked. "I just want to sleep, and there's no way I'm closing my eyes in another.... bin full of black bags."  
"Don't say that out loud." Connor hissed. "We'd going to have to get on it and get to the their floor. It's this, sleep in a bin, or climb up there, and... We're not climbing!" He grabbed Edward by the arm (He had started for the door, and intent look on his face, when Connor mentioned climbing.) and pulled him back. "People will see us. Now let's go."  
He dragged Edward toward the door-thing- ignoring stares from other people, whom Haytham and Shay both tried to smile reassuringly at- and pushed him in, then stepped after him. Shay moved in last, and Haytham stopped in the door, staring at the narrow gap between his feet.  
Below the big door was lots of metal, and it seemed to continue forever. Haytham couldn't help but wonder what might happen if whatever was keeping them up broke....  
"Get in here so we can figure out how to work this thing!" Connor nudged his arm and pointed to a metal plate on the wall, lined with glowing buttons.  
"What do they stand for?" Shay wondered out loud.  
"Rooms?" Edward suggested tentatively. "Press one, Haytham."  
"She said room forty. There's no forty on this. The next thing would be floors."  
"The third one." Connor edged forward and tapped the button marked 'three' with his fingers, and suddenly the door slid shut.  
The color drained from Shay's face. "Why the hell did it-"  
The entire room lurched upward, and Edward whipped around and grabbed the railing. Connor crossed his arms and bared his teeth, and Shay grabbed his stomach, giving what sounded halfway between a gasp and a curse. Haytham tightened his grip on the railing and focused on thoughts about Ziio while it slid up, the entire thing continuing mercilessly toward the sky.  
Or in this case, floor three.

***  
"That," Shay stumbled out into the hall and shook his head. "That was terrible."  
"Never again." Haytham leaned heavily agaiant the wall and nodded, "You may lay to that."  
"Let's just..." Connor sighed, then tapped the floor with his foot, just to make sure it wasn't going to lunge upward. "Let's just find the fortieth room."  
"You mean that?" Edward asked excitedly. Although minorly shaken by the wierd room that flew, he didn't seem as distressed about it as the Templars were. He pointed to the room across from them. "It's labeled with a forty."  
"Yes!" Haytham loped toward it and tried the knob, then stepped back, a look of confusion crossing his features. "Locked."  
"We could kick it in." Edward mused.  
"Um, no." Connor replied. "We'll find another way in."  
"Try it again." Shay said. Haytham shook it vigorously and shrugged. "It's not working."  
"What if the card has something to do with it?" Connor asked. He pointed to the thing attached to the doorknob, a little metal slab with a swipe through the side.  
"It could." Haytham took it from his pocket and swiped it repeatedly along the metal slab, shaking his head each time the slab beeped and turned red.  
"Let me see it." Shay eased it from his grasp and flipped it over, swiping it one last time.  
This time, the slab clicked and the door opened.  
"Well, now we can get some sleep-"  
Edward shoved Haytham aside and barged into the room, laughing in relief and flopping onto one of the beds.  
There were two beds on the sides of the room, and between them a couch made of a rough material. Across from the beds was another T.V. and from where Connor now stood in the doorway, he could see another glass door. Jacob would have a fit if he saw it- or didn't. Next to the door there was another door, but this one didn't have a lock.  
"Wait a minute, only two beds? There are four of us." Shay lumbered into the room and sat at the foot of the other bed, not occupied by an already-snoring Edward, and began pulling off the long sleeves red shirt they had bought him from a store (The beeping in that place was terrifying, at least to Connor.).  
"Well, my father's claimed that one. There's a couch..... Really?" Haytham said tiredly, pointing to the couch. Connor beat him to it, and curled up on it, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"Guess you're sleeping on the floor, Grandmaster." Shay teased gently, leaning back on the bed.  
"There's probably a chair or something outside... see?" Haytham remembered Jacob's multiple incidents with the glass door and was careful to open it, then pointed out at the old wooden chair. Beside that,the view from the balcony was breathtaking. The city as a sprawling, monsterous thing but it hummed with life and plenty of light against the night sky.  
Shay ambled to the door and peered out, shrugging. "Good luck trying to sleep with that noise."  
"I'll manage." 

***  
"Jacob! Altaïr, why the hell are you all wet?!" William pulled open the door and raced out, throwing his hands in the air. "We've been looking all over for you! For the past three hours!"  
Desmond stood behind him, in the open glass door, his head down. By the way his shoulders were shaking, Jacob guessed he was laughing.  
"Oh, wait, don't tell me." William scoffed. "You fell into the pool?"  
"Uh..." Altaïr looked at his still-damp clothes and shrugged. "Jacob can tell you."  
"Thanks a lot." Jacob retorted. "Genius Assassin over here decided it'd be a great idea to 'jump in on purpose'."  
"I fell!" Altaïr realized his mistake and stood up in the grass from where he'd been sitting, pointing accusingly at Jacob.  
"Really?" Jacob grinned, enjoying the ability to argue with the greatest Assassin that ever lived. "Not how I recall you telling it. What was it, you expected your foot to be there, and expected when you would fall at the exact time..."  
"I have said no such thing." Altaïr said indignantly.  
"Listen, I'd love to hear you two argue with my father, but you two need to get in the car." Desmond pushed past William and helped Jacob up, then motioned to Altaïr. "Let's go."  
Jacob looked back at Altaïr and grinned. The Assassin smacked him in the back of the head and stepped past the glass door, holding up both hands.  
Jacob pressed himself as far away from the glass as possible, and was about to easily slip into the house without hitting the door when his foot caught on the doorframe on the ground and he tripped, smacking his sheek on the glass with such force he heard it creak.  
Desmond stifled a chuckle into his arm, and even William couldn't stop a smirk from flashing on his mouth.  
"I heard that." Altaïr called from the kitchen.  
"Shut up!" Jacob snapped back. "I saved your bloody arse."  
"Having second thoughts, are we?" Came the playful reply.

***  
"Ezio?" Arno gently moved his arm. "We're... here, I suppose. Come on. Have to wake up."  
Ezio groaned in his sleep and muttered something in Italian.  
"We're here." Arno pushed his head up, and Ezio's eyes flew open. He shoved himself away from Arno and sat up hurriedly, blinking.  
"What..."  
"The servers." They were in what appeared to be an alley, deep in the heart of the city, and there were heavy looking chunks of metal- machinery, or the Abstergo servers, whatever they were, Arno guessed- strewn about near the buildings that weren't abandoned. Outside, near the broken up road, Shaun looked around, clasping his hands together. "We need to find the one with the Templar insignia on it."  
"Right." Rebecca clambered out to the car and held the door open while Ezio and Arno crawled from the back, looking around with wide eyes. "A long time ago, when everything was accessible in some way, shape, or form by the public, these servers were available for pretty much very reason. Now everything's under lock and key 24/7, and they're left to rot. But...."  
"Abstergo cleverly left their Templar servers up and running from this location. Perfectly accessible, because they thought no one came down here anymore to really hack. Hiding in plain sight, like the Creed." Shaun piped up, looking around the cracked walls of the buildings.  
"You know the Creed?" Ezio asked, sounding surprised.  
"They're-" Arno began.  
"Assassins, like you. Not Masters, but close." Rebecca said.  
Not yet Master Assassins, but she was right.  
At least they were Assassins.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; The Kenways and Shay are the most fun to write :)

Edward, naturally, was the first awake.  
He stood and stretched, looking around the room while he did. Shay had fallen asleep on his stomach, his head turned to one side (It looked awfully painful) with one arm hanging over the edge of the bed. Beside him, Connor lay on the couch with his arms crossed, his head down. Pranking one of them would definitely be worth his time... Connor would kill him, and who knew what Shay would do. Where was Haytham?  
He looked all around the room, then opened the door beside the entrance. This one led to a bathroom, as William had once explained to him. The Templar wasn't in there.  
He turned and sighed, clicking his tongue. If that man had decided it was a brilliant idea to go back to the Abstergo place- he's given them away once before-.... Edward was worried that was exactly the situation.  
Well. He looked at the balcony outside, where the early might of dawn shone, and carefully pulled open the door, peering out. There he was. Haytham must not have found anywhere else to sleep but a chair, although it looked like a comfortable one.  
Edward quietly closed the door, then pushed Connor's feet from the couch so he could sit. He picked up the black remote from where it lay on the floor and gazed at the T.V, wracking his brains to figure out how to turn it on. A quick scan of the remote showed him it had an 'on' button, so he pressed it, and watched as it sprang to life.  
"..... And these men, the Abstergo people are searching for, what do you think they intend to accomplish, Dr. Vidic?"  
"I don't know. Those samples were important, especially in the search for a deeper, more complex Animus. Just think, full on experience, of our ancestors lives, and it was taken from us by them."  
Edward stared at his own image, as clear as if someone had painted it, but.... better. It looked exactly like him. Like real life. Another one flashed on the screen, one with Connor, and his name below it. After that followed Haytham, and then Shay. Then the screen flashed again, and it was back to the graying man and the blonde woman, speaking back and forth with each other. Odd as it was, he remembered seeing this before, at Shaun's house. The 'news'.  
He crossed his arms and watched as the man named 'Vidic' painted the squad of Assassins and Templars in a bad light, accusing them of things Edward couldn't even understand.

***  
Connor awoke to the sound of voices, and sat bolt upright on the couch, rubbing his neck.  
"What's on the T.V?"  
"Shite." Edward growled. "He's convicting us of things we're never done. Do you know what an Animus is? Or genetic memories?"  
"No idea." Connor replied, watching the screen. "This could be a tactic to urge the people watching to-"  
"What the hell is that? Why are there people on that thing? Are they trapped inside?" Shay had woken up, and he was working on pulling his shirt back on, gazing at the screen with wide eyes.  
"Oh..." Edward began. "I really don't know how to explain it. Connor's happy to tell you, though."  
Connor nudged his arm and sighed. "I'm not sure.... It's called a T.V and it does some odd things. That's all I can understand."  
Shay nodded slowly, then reached up with his thumb and scratched at his eyebrow boredly. "What are they talking about, anyway?"  
"Bullsh-"  
"Edward, why don't you go wake my father up?" Connor said. The Assassin seemed to be working himself into a fury with the people on the T.V.  
Grumbling, the captain pulled himself up and marched to the glass door.  
"They're trying to stir the flames, make this worse for us. Everyone's going to be looking for our heads." Connor muttered.  
"They were doing that before I got here." Shay said under his breath. "Is there anything to eat?"  
"We didn't think of tha-"  
"My ear! Let go of me! Father!" Edward stalked in, flinging the door open and dragging Haytham in by the ear. He released Connor's father by the foot of Shay's bed and stood in front of the T.V, his arms crossed. "That wasn't funny." Haytham groaned, rubbing his ear.  
"I warned you. Gave you three 'wake up's before I grabbed your ear. And what did you do? You kept sleeping."  
"I was tired!"  
"Hey!" Shay smacked Edward on the back and looked at Haytham. "We have more pressing things. No one thought to bring anything to eat."

***  
Haytham made his way to the entrance door of the room and looked out, feeling the others lean over his shoulder and do the same. There was a big machine at the end of the hallway- it had an image of ice and what looked conspicuously like a penguin on the front- that hummed and glowed.  
"There could be food in there." Edward held a wad of the paper money in his hand, and he passed it back and forth between his hands. "I'm going for it."  
Shay, Haytham, and Connor followed him from the room down the hall, until they reached the machine. Shay regarded it with both fists up, like it was going to jump up and attack him.  
"What's a Pepsi?" Connie asked, crouching by the machine. There was a series of buttons that each had images of one strange thing after the next.  
"Press it." Edward said. "Let's find out."  
"Hope it's food." Shay murmured. "I'm jumping out a window if it's not."  
"That hungry?" Haytham asked.  
"Yeah, now how do we work it?" Shay replied.  
"Press and pay, I'm thinking. What I have is a bunch of ones, so when I add them I get five. How much does it say for one of those things?" Edward kneeled beside Connor and gazed with uncertainty at the buttons.  
"Just a one." Connor pulled one of the papers and handed it to Haytham. "Try that slot. I'll see where we actually get this 'Pepsi' thing."  
Haytham did as he was told and pulled his hand back as the slot pulled the money in, missing his thumb by half an inch.  
The machine rattled.  
Edward yelped and jumped back, right onto Haytham, and Connor flattened himself against the wall, shrieking. Shay immediately turned and raced down the edge of the hall, then stood by their door and waited, his chest heaving.  
"Jaysus." Edward said when it stopped. "And we didn't even get the 'Pepsi'."  
"Wait." Connor slowly- painstakingly- reached out and into the black flap near the bottom. "It's cold."  
He removed a small metal canister, that for some reason had an abundance of blue paint on it, and held it out to Edward, who shook his head. "I'm not touching it."  
Haytham denied it too, clasping his hands firmly behind his back. Connor shook it near his ear.  
"Liquid. Not going to kill us."  
"Great, we've established that." Shay called, slowly walking toward them. He still seemed worried. "Let me see it."  
Connor shook it vigoursly, listening to the canister as the liquid kept sloshing around. "Sounds a little odd, though."  
"Good thought. How do we open it?" Haytham asked, studying it from afar.  
"The thing on top, maybe. Pull it." Edward suggested, as Connor handed it to Shay.  
Shay held it at chest level and carefully began to pull the small piece of metal on top of it while the others waited anxiously, the tension growing.  
There was a loud hiss, just before the canister exploded.

***  
Not fair.  
Not fucking fair.  
Shay threw it down as the canister's top erupted in brown, very fizzy stuff that seemed to be sea foam. It splattered Shay and coated his head, shoulders, and chest in sticky, shockingly cold stuff, and when he threw it down, the Assassins and Haytham scrambled away, running through the hall.  
"Oh, quit that!" Shay shouted at them. "It's not harmful or I'd be dead."  
"It looks like acid." Edward called back. Haytham stopped halfway down the hall and turned, looking back.  
"Did you taste it?"  
"What?" Shay asked. "No, I haven't tasted it. You try. I'm already covered in this stuff."  
Haytham looked back at Edward and Connor, who paced a ways back.  
"Well." Edward puffed his chest and sighed. "If no one's going to try it, I will."  
"I think it's sugary." Shay said, as Edward came closer. "It's sticky."  
"Maybe I shouldn't have shook it." Connor moved forward too, and Haytham started back to the machine as Edward picked it up.  
"This is probably going to suck." He said, just before he put the canister to his lips and swallowed.

***  
Jacob and Altaïr sat as far as possible from each other in the car, gazing out the window as the city raced past them. This carriage, Jacob thought, was far better than the other one. More seats, more comfortable, a helluva lot faster. Beside him, Altaïr groaned as the carriage hit a bump.  
"What's going on back there?" William looked back. "Are you killing him, Jacob?"  
"Not touching him. What's up with you, Altaïr?"  
"This thing is going..." Altaïr seemed to hiccup. "Way too fast."  
"Just slow down. Says it's too fast." Jacob said. "Desmond did say it was a sports car, Altaïr. Of course it's going fast."  
"You have no idea what a sports car is." Desmond replied from the front.  
"You just explained it to me."  
"Yeah, but you've never seen another sports car, have you?"  
"Is there a real need? Seen on, seen 'em all."  
"... Good point."

***  
Altaïr was beginning to see where Ezio had been coming from. This thing was a lot faster than the other one and every time they took a corner of hit s bump, his stomach threatened to vault itself from his mouth. And Jacob definitely wasn't helping.  
"How fast can it go?"  
"More than six dozen miles an hour. Speed limit's about sixty, though." William said from the front. "Last time we took a ride with you, the limit was forty. It changes on depending on the freeway."  
He didn't know what a freeway was. He had no clue what traffic was supposed to mean. And he wasn't even about to ask what a speed limit meant.  
But Jacob was.  
Altaïr sighed and pressed his forehead against the window as Jacob launched into a series of questions about this weird machine and how it worked.  
Who knew the man was such a yapper.

***  
"We've been searching for hours." Ezio groaned.  
"I've already forgotten what we're looking for."  
"Hey, no complaining, and I'm talking to you, Ezio." Rebecca said pointedly. "And Arno, it's really difficult to forget the Absertgo symbol."  
"Just think of it as a modified Templar cross. Which it is, actually." Shaun seemed to ponder it for a moment.  
At the mention of Templars, the old hate and determination flared up and Ezio and Arno nodded to each other.  
"Can we climb? Maybe there are servers on the rooftops or in the buildings." Arno suggested.  
"He's right... I don't want to send you alone. Go together." Shaun said. Rebecca smacked him.  
"Shaun! Every time we leave them alone- no offense, guys- they end up breaking something, getting hurt or getting caught. I'll take Arno, you take Ezio."  
"I have no climbing skills whatsoever." Shaun said, as Rebecca and Arno started down the street. "You'll be doing the clambering about all this machinery and such."  
Ezio craned his neck and studied the buildings. Massive, far bigger than anything he'd ever climbed. To a counter that, though, there were hundreds of visible handholds, and who knew how many more unseen ones.  
"Well," he said. "Let's get to work."

***  
Arno balanced precariously on an abandoned car while Rebecca spoke into that tiny black square she called a phone. Honestly, though, why the hell did she talk to it like it was a person? It wasn't like anyone was in there or anything.  
Or was there?  
Arno's head snapped up and he looked curiously at the black phone, which glinted opaque in the dull early morning light. What if there was a person in... he hated to think about it. That thing was pure evil.  
".... No, no, look, I's sorry Desmond had to borrow your sports car. It won't be trashed, I can tell you that. What? Those two guys with them? Oh, that was... those are my cousins... um. No, you don't wanna do that. I know it looks bad but- shit." Rebecca pulled the phone away from her ear and swore again, starting to job back in the direction of Shaun and Ezio.  
"Where are you going?" Arno jumped down from the car and hurried after her, a dull ache spreading in his chest at the memory of Elise.  
"That friend, we thought he could be trusted... he's calling Abstergo. We need to warn the others."


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorceress_Supreme; I'm not sure. I'll probably just make someone up, mostly because I can't think of anyone male really betraying them.  
> just a fan; Would you like to see Aveline? I'm not familiar with her storyline so it would take a bit, but I can see where and how she'd fall in with the boys.

Edward's eyes widened and he spat out the liquid the sweet taste the only good thing about it. He tossed the canister to Connor- who caught it hurriedly- and doubled over, hands on his knees as he cleared his mouth and throat of the drink.  
"Is it really that bad?" Shay asked. He frowned and licked his lips, then pulled a face and shook his head. "It's like there's some kind of spice in it."  
"See... You and Haytham need to try it, Connor." Edward scowled and straightened up, using his fingers to scrape at his tongue. "It's like swallowing a torch."  
Connor eyed the drink, then sighed. "Fine."  
"We better do this quick, then, or back in our room." Shay looked down the hall and started to their room, motioning to the door. "I need to get this shite off me. It's sticking to everything."  
The Assassins and Templar obediantly followed, with Connor holding the canister away from his body and occasionally tipping it over to see how much was left.  
They made it back to their room and stood around Connor as he lifted the top to his lips and sipped, a sour look spreading over his features as he swallowed.  
"Why is it so...." He searched for the word, his mouth feeling like it was on fire. "Fizzy? And it's sweet, too. I wonder how they managed to make it like that."  
"I think it's supposed to be that way." Haytham. Eased the drink from his grasp and studied the canister. "Looks like it on the front."  
"You try." Edward crossed his arms. "I'll stake my cutlasses you won't be able to finish it."  
Haytham gave him a slight grin, then looked back to the canister. "Watch me, then."  
The Templar Grandmaster tipped his head back and held the canister to his mouth.  
"I don't believe this." Shay began. "Are you even swallowing?"  
Edward's hand darted out and tapped Haytham's neck. "Damn."  
Haytham lowered the canister and tipped it over completely, smiling at the others' befuddlement when nothing came out.  
"How the hell did you-" Connor began.  
"It tasted fine, and I like the fire it puts in your mouth." Haytham said simply.  
"Now I want one." Shay groaned.  
"We still have some money." Edward pulled the wad from his pocket and held it to the light. "I want to see if I can do what he did."  
"One swig won't finish the job." Connor said. "You'll have to spend a while on it."  
Shay shrugged. "You buy me one, then, Edward. I need to find a way to get this off."  
"I think I can remedy that." Connor motioned to Shay and led him to the bathroom, remembering his fright when Desmond had showed him water came from that tiny little faucet. Shay would be no different.  
"What's all this?" The Irishman asked. He eyed the walls and the toilet with wide eyes, as though he wasn't sure if it was good or bad it was so clean.  
"You'll see." Connor pulled aside the curtain and grinned. There it was. "Edward!" He called.  
"Yeah?" Came the gruff reply.  
"Come here. I need your help."  
The captain came into the bathroom, saw Shay and Connor, and knew exactly what was about to happen. He nodded to Connor.  
"Let me show him."  
The Assassin held up both hands and stood in the doorway, arms crossed. In the main room, he heard Haytham turn on the T.V- after multiple failed attempts and several Mohawk curses, as though Connor wasn't listening- and he beckoned to Edward.  
"Now," The captain said, "stand in the middle of the white box."  
Shay gave him a suspicious look, but said nothing, doing as he was told.  
"Cold or warm?"  
"Edward, if this is one hour tricks by God I'll-"  
"Easy there, don't soil your breeches man. Just trying to help. Now, ready?"  
"... Fine. Warm."  
Edward pulled the bar far onto the side with the red and sprang away, leaping into the next room and pulling Connor out with him.  
"The fuck is this?! Edward?! Connor?!"  
He kicked the door shut just as Shay gave a muffled shout of panic and lunged for the opening.  
There was a dull bang and Shay went silent, the hum of the shower still running.  
"I'm not even going to ask." Edward and Connor slowly looked up, at where Haytham stood, his arms folded, his brow pinched in a look of disapproval. "We're going to have an issue with Shay and doors, now?"  
"No." Edward snickered, and Connor elbowed him.  
"Let's make sure he's alright. I think you gave him a good scare."  
"It was your idea." The captain protested.  
"But you did the deed."  
Edward growled and slowly opened the door. "Shay? Are you still alive-"  
A red and black blur exploded from the door and wrapped itself around Edward, slamming him against the back wall.  
"Oh, what the hell-"  
"What the fuck did you do? Why is there water coming from it?" Shay was completely soaked, and from the way he pummeled Edward's belly, both Connor and Haytham knew he was pissed.  
"Hey- whoa-Shay-"  
"Why would you do that?" Haytham and Connor grabbed Shay's shoulders and heaved him against the wall, keeping him in place as he tried to lunge for Edward.  
"Look, it was a joke, man, keep your jeans on."  
"Well, it wasn't fucking funny!"  
"Relax, you're still alive, aren't you?"  
"Having your dignity and being alive are two very different things." Connor said gently.  
"Just turn off the water, Father, or I'll let Shay attack you."  
Edward hurried into the bathroom and promptly turned the water off.  
Needless to say, Haytham chose that very moment to 'accidently' release the struggling Templar.

***  
"He fucking did it. That sonuva bitch." William swore at least ten more times.  
In the back, Jacob and Altaïr shared a look. "What... happened?" Altaïr asked tentatively.  
"Our friend, the guy you met, he gave us the car but he decided it wasn't worth it. Called Abstergo." Desmond said. "We're being tracked down."  
"Alright, we'll have to go on foot." William called back. "Altaïr, that's good news for you. Let's go."  
William slowed the car down and brought it to a halt between two other cars. Jacob and Altaïr looked out with wide eyes, watching the busy streets filled with people.  
"It's not too far from here." Desmond climbed out and held the door open for the two Assassins, looking around. "Careful, guys. Heads down. Stay alert. If you see anyone suspicious..." He lowered his voice as woman walked by, screaming something into a 'phone' she held to her ear. ".... tell me and Dad."  
"Alright. Ready?" William walked around the car and joined them, scanning the crowds worriedly. "Shouldn't be too conspicuous. Altair, your hair matches Desmond's, so your fine, but you, Jacob... Your hair should pass. No obvious weapons, no weird clothes, and no hoods. We're good." He turned on his heel, and just as he finished, he was face-to-face with a man in dark clothes with a yellow stripe down his shirt. Instantly he whirled around and started off in the oppsotie direction, and the Assassins followed.  
The man shoved past Jacob and grabbed Desmond's shoulder. "You there. Desmond Miles. You, Jacob Frye, William Miles, and Altaïr Ibn- La'ahad, are under arrest for theft and destruction of-"  
"Fuck you!" Desmond kicked the guy between the legs and sprinted off through the crowd, shoving people aside and clearing the way for the Assassins to follow him. "Run!"

***  
"Shaun, we've got a problem."  
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Ah, problem. Don't we all." The man paced back and forth near a server, craning his head to look up every now and then.  
"Shaun..." Rebecca began.  
He regarded her.  
"Where's.... Ezio...?" Arno asked, looking around.  
Shaun bit his lip. "Yes, well... minor situation. He appears to be.. um... stuck."  
"Stuck?" Rebecca looked up, shaking her head. "Wait... what.. where is he?"  
"I'm up here!" The Italian clung to a stalk of ivy that looked like it was about to break, and only one of his red shoes was dug into a crack in the wall. The other was hanging loosely in the air.  
"Oh, no." Rebecca groaned. "Arno, you've got some climbing skills. Go up there and save him while I talk to Shaun."  
"Now what's this about a problem?" Shaun asked, as Arno began climbing.  
Somewhere inside, he felt a deep satisfaction at having to save the Greatest Mentor that ever was.  
"Hold on, Ezio."  
"Just hurry!"

***  
This was terrible.  
Every time the wind drifted through the buildings, Ezio would panic and nearly lose his grip, then remember to flatten himself against the wall. In the end, he cling to the ivy and wrapped his knees around it, closing his eyes and biting his lip.  
Finally he felt a hand tug at the ivy.  
"No! Don't do that!!"  
"Ezio-"  
"Don't tug the ivy!!"  
"Don't panic-"  
"Arno!"  
"Ezio! That's enough!" Arno snapped. "What happened to the great Italian Mentor who revived the Brotherhood? Come on, you're foot is inches away from a windowsill. There's plenty of space for you climb down."  
"What?" Ezio craned his neck and looked down.  
Oh.  
Damn it.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorceress_Supreme and dani; Aveline and Evie it is, then ;)

Gale was the only one working the morning shift- the two Assassins that occupied the rooms that had belonged to Jacob and Connor were both smaller than him, and unarmed- and the observation room was wide and dimly lit so he could clearly see what they were doing at all times. There were hallways running between each room so there was easy access, so he could stop them from trying to open the doors and escape.  
It was going to be an easy night.

***  
This... now this was odd.  
Aveline sat up and curled his fingers into a fist, looking around at the room she was in.  
White walls, a white bed, and the faint outline of a door to her right. There was a point of light emanating from above her head, and while it was very much like the sun, she refused to call it that. No one could look at the sun and come away with tiny spots dancing in their eyes. They would lose their vision.  
She walked around the room, stopping to try pushing the door. It wasn't opening; something told her it was locked.  
This was beginning to get annoying. No way out, but no way in, either. So how was she going to escape? Why was she here? No, wait. Aveline frowned and kicked at the door. It still didn't budge. How did she get here was the real question.  
"Stop kicking the door, Aveline."  
Her head whipped around and she narrowed her eyes at the wall, where the noise had emanated.  
"Who said that?"  
Silence ensued.  
"Answer me."  
Again, nothing.  
Aveline sighed and tried the door again. Strange voices, strange rooms, and this door was really starting to try her patience.  
With a final kick, it opened, and she was face to face with a burly man several inches taller than her, wearing gray clothes with a yellow line down the side.  
"Miss," He rumbled, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't go around kicking down doors. Now get back in your room."  
Aveline looked past him, into the dark hallway. She crossed her arms and shook her head. "No."  
The man didn't seem fazed. "Now."  
"I'm not going."  
He reached out to grab her arm, and she ducked, tackling him by the stomach. He hissed and struggled, but she grabbed his dark hair and slammed his head against the cold stone ground. He was out like a lamp.  
Her task of escaping finished, Aveline straightened and clasped her hands, looking around the hallway.  
And then she saw the other woman.

***  
Evie was pissed.  
After spending hours searching for Jacob- from one of the Rook's accounts, he had hauled off and drank more than he should have, then stumbled off into the streets of London- she had finally just found an inn to sleep out the night. Surely he would have been back by morning, knocking at the window and crying from a hangover.  
But as soon as her head hit the pillow...  
This strange white room and that bloody sun that winked and brightened above her head was interesting at first, but it was beginning to grow dull. And every time she rapped the wall with her knuckles, someone- she didn't see him, each time- told her to knock it off.  
She banged against the wall again, cursing him to hell, and suddenly the door flew open, revealing a woman standing in the middle of it, a set of keys dangling from her fingers.  
She wore strange clothes- they definitely weren't from the nineteenth century- and a sneaky grin.  
"Who are you?" Evie asked, wary.  
"You can call me Aveline, and you?"  
"Evie Frye."  
"We need to get out of here," Aveline tossed the keys aside and headed into the dark corridor beyond, scanning the hallways. "Do you know a way out?"  
"Not really. I just went to sleep and now I'm here. Looking for my goddamned brother, so I could haul his drunken ass home."  
Aveline shrugged. "The same happened to me- I woke up here. We'll have to be stealthy about this. I have a feeling that man wasn't the only one."  
"There are probably more, you're right... let's explore these halls. One of them is bound to lead to the outside."

***  
"Ah! Haytham! Connor! Help!" Edward's voice wafted from the bathroom, and Haytham crossed his arms, smiling. Connor chuckled and peered in, wondering if Shay was trying to assassinate him. Or was it Templar-ate?  
Shay held Edward by the shirt collar, so the captain as forced to stand in the water. The knob was turned as cold as it would go, and Shay looked back at him, smiling.  
"Grandmaster, could you tell him-"  
"Shay-PLEASE-"  
"-that he has nothing to be afraid of?"  
"It's just a little cold water, Father." Haytham looked in and frowned. "I don't see the problem."  
Edward writhed as the cold water dripped down his back.  
"It's so cold! Ah! Please! Someone help me!"  
Shay signed and turned the knob down, so it was off. He released Edward and laughed.  
Edward clung to Shay, shivering, staring at the shower with his eyes wide open.  
"Never again..." Edward panted. "That was torture..."  
"That's how I feel every time I fall of the Morrigan." Shay rolled his eyes. "You get used to it."  
"But why would a person want cold water to shower in- wait, the Morrigan? Is that a ship?"  
Shay glared at him. "No, it's a bird."  
"Well.... how do you fall off a bird-"  
"Of course it's a ship! What did you think it was?"  
"Wait a minute..." Connor marched to Edward and raised and eyebrow as he studied him. "My father told me my grandfather worked as privateer for a while in the West Indies. You're used to the warm water."  
"And get off me!" Shay pushed Edward away and rubbed his arms. "You're cold."  
"No shit." Edward snapped back. "You've had your revenge now. And yeah, of course I'm used to warm waters."  
"The rest of us have gone through the colder river and seas. This is priceless, Edward." Haytham stood in the doorway and smiled.  
Edward scowled at him, then glared at Shay. "Still, you've done it now."  
The smirk left the Irishman's face. "What?"  
Edward lunged forward, and Shay yowled, darting out of the bathroom and shoving an indignant Haytham aside.  
Haytham had left the glass door open after being dragged in, and the Templar raced for it, trying to escape Edward's wrath.  
Which was why, just when he thought he'd have to face another searing hot 'shower', Shay pitched himself over the balcony railing.

***  
Someone shoved Jacob.  
Someone tripped Desmond.  
Someone smacked William.  
Someone pushed Altaïr.  
The four drove through the crowd, throwing their hands up and pushing as many people aside as possible before that man could reach them.  
"Hey!" He shouted. "Get back here!"  
"Why do you think we're running, to stretch our legs? Ow!" Altaïr swatted the back of Jacob's head and pulled him forward.  
"Into the alleys!" William gabbed Desmond's arm and pointed to a narrow gap in the buildings. "Go! Go!"  
"Ah!" The man in the dark clothes tackled Altaïr, attempting to straddle him.  
Altaïr beat him with his fists, cursing loudly. Jacob sprang forward and grabbed the man's hair, pulling him back and onto the gray-hard-smooth stone.  
Around them, the people began to form a ring, one that Desmond and William fought through to help them defend against him.  
"Come on! Do him in!"  
"I'm calling the police!"  
"They look like those guys on T.V!"  
"Go on! Pound his face in!"  
Jacob allowed the man to straighten and boxed his face repeadedly with both fists. It was a trick he'd learned on the streets, after a run in with the Blighters nearly cost him him and Evie their title of the Rook leaders.  
Altaïr pulled the man away and tossed him to the ground, delivering a well aimed kick to the side.  
Within moments, the fight was over and the man lay holding his side on the road. Desmond and William stood over him, gazing at them with impression.  
"We've got to get out of here," Altaïr pushed past the crowd members and cleared the way for the others.  
Well, then.  
With nothing left to do, they followed.

***  
"Come on, Ezio, you can jump that distance."  
"I can't!"  
Arno launched off on a series of sentences that sounded suspiciously like curses in French, then sighed and held up his hands. "I'll catch you, then."  
"Sure?"  
"No, I'll throw you on the ground and stomp on your family jewels."  
Ezio went into his own Italian Rant of Swearing.  
"Yes, I'm going to catch you!"  
"Damn well better, or I'll have your head."  
"Just jump!"  
Ezio gritted his teeth and pushed off from the wall. For a moment he enjoyed the brief sensation of elation, fear, and the hope that he didn't shriek like a child, then he slammed into something hard and that was that.  
"Ezio..." Arno began. "Get off me."  
"I'm sorry!" Ezio apologized profusely in Italian and helped Arno up, happy to be on solid ground again. Shaun and Rebecca approached them, shaking their heads.  
"Ezio, did you just..." Rebecca began.  
"And did he...." Shaun started.  
"Never mind!" Arno snapped. He rubbed his back. "I think I landed on a rock."  
"I've slept on one." Ezio murmured. "It's worse when it's in your lower back and you roll over, then it's grinding into your-"  
"Okay, let's talk about food," Rebecca clasoed her hands. "We got a friend, John, helping us out with hacking into Abstergo's systems. He's kind of an inside man, works for their calbrstion and repairs group, or IT. He managed to take over their media files and clear your public names. So while it should be a little safer for you to roam the streets, only Shaun or I will go and pick up a pizza."  
"A pizza?" Arno asked.  
"That's Italian. It has to be." Ezio grinned.  
"Hey, look, he got it right!" Shaun said sarcastically.  
"Shaun! And yeah, it's Italian, it's really good."  
"What is it, exactly?" Arno asked.  
"The best food you'll ever eat- I'm serious."


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; I finally got II and it's epic so far :D Leanardo Da Vinci! (So far all I've done is moved a box of stuff for him, but it's still cool)  
> And by now they're pretty much making all those connections. Arno, he's French, Ezio, he's Italian, Altaïr, he's Arabic, Shay, he's Irish (Like me* grin*) and Jacob, he's British, I think. Everyone gets their own epic food.  
> Edward's used to rougher men, and everyone he's with right now are pretty sensitive guys. He's also twenty one at the moment, just becoming a pirate. He's also the youngest.  
> Sorceress_Supreme; Epic things will happen when the Assassins come together. (Shay and Haytham not included, I wonder if that counts as a teaser or a spoiler)

"Do you see that? Up ahead, the light coming from in higher up these accursed stairs." Evie pointed up, then looked back toward the wood door, barricaded with a chair that had funny looking black wheels.  
"I see it." Aveline followed her line of sight and nodded. "I'll go take a look."  
"You might have to be quick about it," Evie rushed to the door and grasped at the handles, pushing against it as someone on the other side beat against it with her fist.  
"Open up! Come on, I'm an Assassin!"  
Evie and Aveline froze.  
"She could be lying." Aveline grabbed Evie's arm and shook her head.  
"I know, I know. But this is so odd it'd be nice to have more than just us as Assassins...." Evie trailed off as the woman pounded against it with her fist.  
"I can help you!"  
"Shit." Evie swore and balled her fists. "We could run to the light... or we can see what she has to say."  
"Let's waste no time." Aveline started up the stairs. "Evie, what are you-"  
The Assassin pulled up her hood and opened the door, allowing a woman with bright red-orange-pink (Did that hair color even exist?) hair into the stair room. She held up both fists, with a tiny black thing pointed toward Evie.  
"Aveline and Evie, look, we just need your help."  
"What is that thing?" Aveline asked, stepping down the stairs. The woman shifted the black thing at her.  
"My name is Melanie LeMay. This is my trusty buddy, but you can call it a Glock 30. Listen, we just need your help-"  
"Is that a gun?"  
"Evie, please shut up."  
Aveline caught Evie's eye and nodded slowly, just enough that she could see.  
One, two, three.  
Evie shouted as loud as she could, and the 'Glock 30' swung her way. Aveline tackled her and wrestled the black thing from Melanie's grasp, then staggered back, pointing it at her.  
"I don't know what this does," She growled. "But I won't hesitate to use it against you."  
"And no," Evie added. "You're no fucking Assassin."  
She kicked Melanie in the back of the head, and the woman sank back against the floor, eyes closed.  
"Let's get out of here. I'm bringing this thing with me."  
"Where should we go when we get out?" Evie asked, starting up the stairs. Aveline shrugged.  
"Let's see."

***  
Shay plummeted.  
He knew what he was going to hit before he hit it, but for the brief moment after he had grabbed the railing and jumped, he was reminded painfully of leaping from the cliff, and the betrayel of being shot by his own brothers.  
Then he hit the water, a loud crack resonating through his mind and the sudden feeling he was being choked.  
Shay pushed to the surface, gasping for air.  
All around him- there were about six people, two boys in weird shorts that were colored way too brightly, and two men that wore the same. Off to the side on the water, two women lounged on chairs, wearing clothes that definitely drew his attention. He forced himself to quit staring and hauled himself over the side, his belly, chest and neck stinging.  
"Belly flop from hell." One of the woman- holy shit, she looked like Hope- grinned at him, then craned her neck. "Where did you come from? And you couldn't have done that with a swimsuit on?"  
"Uh...." Shay looked up, toward the balcony.  
Connor looked unconvinced, Haytham looked like something was terribly funny, and Edward peered down at him with a grin, waving his hand.  
"It was.... just a dare."  
The woman looked at her accomplice- definitely Irish, much to his pleasure- and laughed.  
"Are you all right?  
+  
Cristina watched the man fly over the railing with certainty he would at least try and dive.  
"Oh, my God, he went for it." Beside her, Anna had to cover her laughter.  
"Ouch. That was painful just watching."  
"Hah, the dude up there looks completely stoic. And the blondie's pretty smug- That other guy looks like he's about to die laughing."  
The man hauled himself onto the side of the pool, dripping wet. He looked around him like a lost puppy, then his brown gaze settled on her and something of a grin flitted across his features. Handsome.  
Anna looked up. "Seriously, though, that looked fucking painful. He'll be puking here in a minute."  
"On the stomach... ow." Cristina began.  
+  
"Hang me," Edward laughed and sat back, "that was priceless."  
Haytham's sides shook with laughter and he beat his knee. "Never have I managed to get him to do something like that."  
"That was completely stupid." Connor said.  
"Oh, lighten up," Haytham replied. "Look at him, he looks like a soaked bear cub."  
"Oh, hell." Edward peered down, to where Shay sat by the edge of the water, speaking in a low voice to the the woman at the chairs. "If he's getting women for it I'm doing the same."  
"Are we even allowed to do this?" Connor asked.  
"Who cares?" Edward pulled himself up onto the balcony and grinned. "I can make it."  
"I say go for it," Haytham looked down. "I might do the same."  
"Are none of you listening to me?" Edward, don't-" Connor was clearly loosing his patience.  
The captain jumped.

***  
"John came through for us, Dad. Rebecca just texted me that she's buying pizza for the boys."  
"We are not boys. We are men." Jacob said haughtily.  
"Not the way you act." Altaïr rolled his eyes.  
"Excuse me? How old are you?"  
"Twenty five. And what about you, Sir Brags A Lot?"  
Jacob clamped his mouth.  
"I'll found out somehow."  
"I'm twenty one." Jacob mumbled.  
"Oh! Oh! So I'm older than you! In your face! I-"  
"Altaïr." William snapped. "Please, be quiet."  
"Older." Altaïr whispered.  
Jacob elbowed him.  
"And I rescued you from the horrible death of drowning."  
"Older."  
This time Jacob's elbow didn't land on Altaïr's arm; the target was a little lower.

***  
Okay, um, a little to the left," Shaun called. Arno and Ezio looked down and found the proper handholds.  
The last server on the roof had been the wrong one, and they were still left to comb the abandained heart of the city.  
"Hey! You got the pizza!"  
"Oi!" Arno kicked the wall. "Come back here! We need your help! Hey- what smells so good?"  
"Pizza!" Ezio swung down and dropped the remaining ten feet, the raced raced toward Rebecca. She carried a big white box on both arms, and a smirk flitted on her mouth. Shuan eased the box from her grasp and tossed it onto a server, than pulled it open.  
Arno felt his gut stir at the smell of cheese and bread, and he kicked the wall again.  
"Hey! Help me down! Someone! Ezio! You traitor!"  
The Italian pulled a traingle from the box.  
Not just any triangle.  
A triangle that held on it the wonderful combination of cheese and tomatoes.  
Ezio trotted back to Arno and stood below him, nibbling the end.  
"It's warm."  
"Ezio..."  
"And gooey."  
"Ezio!"  
"It tastes so good..."  
"When I get down I'm going to-"  
"Is this... is this some kind of spice?"  
"Oh, I'll give you spice-" Arno pushed off the wall, aiming deliberately at Ezio.  
The Italian was too absorbed in his pizza description taunt that he failed to notice Arno before he was nearly flattened beneath him.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; Ikr! I already have more than 2500 florin and I'm an hour and half into the game. It's kind of cool, but sort of overpowered.  
> Sorceress_Supreme; *Mischievous grin*  
> Sandgirl; Thanks!"

"So now what! Why are they staring at us?" Evie gave a rude gesture to a man that gazed at her with wide eyes.  
Aveline was too absorbed in watching that bright red colored carriage barrel down the black road, with people obviously inside, but no horses. What sort of trickery was this?  
"I don't think we're wearing the right clothes." Aveline said, eying a group of people walking by. They wore bright clothes that looked to be made of something between felt and cotton.  
"Yeah, I got that, but how are we going to get the money to buy some other clothes?"  
"I guess we'll have to steal it." Aveline looked back at the building they had emerged from and shrugged. "Let's just out some distance between us and this building before they realize we're not there. I've still got the Glock, so we're safe for now."  
"Alright." Evie started down the smooth gray stone by the side of the black road, pushing past people who stopped and stared at them.  
It took nearly three hours, a few dozen pockets and wallets, and more than fifteen street corners, but they finally stopped in front of what appeared to be a fenced in pool of water. Near the fence, two men- one with black hair and curious dark eyes, the other with blonde hair and a peculiar glint in his blue eyes- spoke to two woman lazily sitting on chair made of who knew what.  
Evie and Aveline had to force their gazes away (neither of them would ever admit it) and pooled their prizes, adding it up to a total of one hundred and fifty.  
"We'll have to stick to shirts and pants, that's all." Evie grinned. "Glad I grew up with a brother....." She already missed him, and wondered if he was alright.  
Aveline craned her neck to study the building, wondering how high it went. Her eyes only got to the third floor before she saw him.  
"Connor."  
He stood on a balcony with a metal railing, in a dark green shirt and black pants, looking down at the two men near the fence. Beside him, a man who bore the same semblance stood with contemplative look at the water, like he was considering jumping.  
"Who?"  
"Connor." Aveline said again.  
He lifted his gaze from the men and his brown eyes settled on her, going wide.  
Aveline smiled, then lifted her fist. When they had been working together, they had been pressed for a silent language. A fist flicked to the left meant she was coming back soon.  
He nodded hurriedly and lifted his other fist, then thumped his hand against his chest.  
Don't stay away too long. Enemies are everywhere.  
Aveline nodded, suddenly aware of the other mens' gazes.  
"What are you doing?" Evie asked blankly, she studied the ones near the pool, who stared back, clearly confused.  
"Let's go get our clothes; we have a safe point to fall back to." Aveline pulled her arm away and started down the street.  
"Alright then.... nothing pink."

***  
"Shay?"  
"I see them. Let's go."  
"But I don't wanna leave-"  
Shay stood up, gave the woman they were speaking to an apologetic look, than grabbed Edward's ear, pulling him up beside him.  
He stalked to the doors and pulled Edward in after him, only releasing his ear once they were in the lobby and heading for the weird machine that flew.  
"Hey!" Edward protested, and Shay shoved him into the machine, pressed the third button and held on for the sake of his stomach as the thing lurched upward.  
"What's with you, man?"  
"Those women, were you not looking?"  
"Oh, I was looking-"  
"Not those women, you idiot, the other ones. They weren't wearing the clothes that are normal around here. They're escapees like us."  
Edward snickered. "Escapees."  
"Now what's so funny about that word?" The machine pinged and Shay jumped out, putting his back to the wall and sighing loudly, giving his stomach a chance to settle. Edward stood in the center of the hallway and crossed his arms, still snickering.  
"Your accent."  
"What's wrong with my accent?"  
"It's just... say it again."  
"Forget it, we need to tell Haytham and Connor-"  
Edward laughed again.  
"What is your problem? Quit laughing, it's not funny! What are you, a child?"  
"I'm twenty two," Edward snapped, sobering up.  
"Like that's much if a difference." Shay rolled his eyes and started for their room, wondering if the door was locked. He tried it once, then twice, then he kicked it in frustration.  
"Allow me." Edward pushed him aside and turned the knob the opposite direction, then opened it, grinning. "Turning it the wrong way, genius."  
Shay growled through his teeth and went to the couch where Haytham and Connor sat, staring at the T.V.  
"That's her. That's Aveline." Connor pointed to the pictures and nodded,  
"You know what?" Edward moved toward the screen and tapped the second woman's image. "She looks like Jacob."  
"Jacob?" Shay asked.  
"You're probably going to find out soon." Haytham said.  
"But why not now-"  
"Because I said so."  
Connor chuckled, and Edward (Not trying to hide his laughter.) had to dodge a flurry of fists from Shay.  
"They said her name was Evie Frye." Connor said. "He mentioned his sister a few times in his sleep. Said he missed her."  
"He talks in his sleep?" Edward held his hands up. "Oh, this is rich."  
"I wouldn't use that as cannon fodder against him." Haytham said. "He'll probably hit the glass door again."  
This time Connor and Edward broke out laughing, much to Shay's complete bewilderment.

***  
Altaïr was yapping his ear off about Masyaf and how he was such a better Assassin than Jacob when he saw her.  
Sure, they were deep in an alley, and sure, he was surrounded by three different conversations, and maybe she wasn't wearing the coat she favored (She now wore a black shirt like his and black pants, and walked with a woman in a red shirt and light blue pants.).  
"Evie!" Jacob lunged forward, shoving Altaïr and William out of his way.  
He felt someone grab the back of his shirt, enough that it tugged at his neck in front and left a red mark. He tried to run, and when that didn't work he twisted and clawed Desmond's closed fists.  
"Let go of me! That's my sister, you bastard!"  
"You don't know-" Jacob whirled around and boxed Desmond's jaw.  
William dropped the phone he was speaking into and tackled Jacob, and Altaïr pulled Desmond away.  
"Stay down, Jacob, you're going to get caught."  
"I don't give a shit, it's Evie!" Jacob threw him off and sprinted for the end of the alley, bursting into the crowd.  
"Jacob, wait!" Altaïr called. Jacob swung his head around, searching for her. She had been here, she had been-  
There she was, starting for that building with the pool in the back.  
"Evie!" He shouted, pushing past people. Some yelped, some stared at him, some punched him- ow, that man had not been gentle with his knee- and some even took it so far as to thunder profanity and curse him to hell.  
Behind him he could hear Altaïr, William and Desmond apologize for his behavior.  
"Evie! Wait for me! Wait for me!" He shoved a very large woman that really needed a corset out of his way and pulled her into a fierce hug from behind.  
Evie turned and threw her arms around him.  
"So this is where you were. You know how many Rooks told me you'd stumbled off into the night?"  
"Yeah, well...." He drew back and looked down sheepishly. The woman beside Evie pointed at him, then at her, then back at him.  
"You guys look-"  
"We are Jacob and Evie Frye," They said in unison.  
"-completely alike."  
"We're also twins."  
"That explains so much-"  
"Jacob! Do you know how much fucking trouble you just caused us?" Desmond asked, coming up beside him. Altaïr and a very angry William followed suit, gazing at Evie and her friend.  
"Who are you?" Altaïr asked both of them.  
"My name is Evie."  
"I'm Aveline.... I know none of your names."  
And so began the long and arduous task of explaining what had happened, when it happened, why it happened, and how it happened.

 

***  
"Um, Shaun, you gotta see this." Rebecca finished her pizza and showed him the screen of her phone, reading in a monotonous tone. "... Abstergo scrambling to clean up the mess as three more people become suspects in the hunt for the vandals. Shay Patrick Cormac, Evie Frye, and Aveline Grandpré."  
"That's French." Arno said through a mouthful of pizza.  
Ezio kicked his foot, scowling. "Don't talk with your mouth full."  
"And don't become so absorbed in describing your pizza." Arno shot back.  
Ezio rubbed his back and winced. "It still hurts, idiota."  
"Guys, we have bigger issues," Shaun said. "William just texted me. He says he's found Evie and Aveline, and they know where the rest of them are."  
"Then let's get a move on." Rebecca said. She swatted Ezio's hand away as he reached for more pizza. "No more, buddy. We're saving some for the other Assassins."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; SAME. O.o Someone should draw that, it would be hilarious xD  
> PoisonHw; I'm a twin myself; It's easy to switch between thinking the other's a pain and thinking they're a badass depending on the situation. And those accents, all of them, Irish, British, Welsh, are to die for... I'm glad I helped someone start the day off on a good note!  
> just a fan; That chapter or closer than you think ;)

They made it into the lobby with no problems, until they reached the tiny room William and Desmond called an elevator.  
"Oh, fuck." Jacob groaned. "I hate taught spaces like that. There's no way I'm going in that thing."  
"Okay, profanity stops. Now. You're getting weird looks." William snapped.  
"Come on, guys, you're fine. It's kind of.... fun, I guess." Desmond stepped in first and held his arms out.  
"Fun?" Altaïr seemed to choke. "What's it supposed to do, anyway?"  
William winked. "What he said, fun."  
Aveline eyed the room suspiciously. "I'd rather be safe than having fun. Please, tell us what it does."  
"Yeah, I'm siding with Jacob." Evie shook her head. "That looks really suspicious."  
"Okay, you know what..." William lost his temper and stepped behind Evie and Jacob, shoving them in. He pushed Aveline and Altaïe in after them and entered next, standing in the doorway to keep them from leaving. "Third floor, room thirty six, is what Connor told you, right?" He asked.  
Aveline looked around the room warily and nodded.  
"Then we'll go there." William tapped the button that read 'three', and the doors slid shut.  
"Um..." Altaïr grasped Desmond's elbow and squeezed. "What-why-it closed-"  
"Mother of-"  
Jacob didn't finish his curse before the entire thing jolted upward.  
Aveline leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, praying for it to be over. Beside her, Evie fared no better.  
"Jacob, quit it. You're being a baby."  
"I am not!" Jacob snapped, letting go of her shoulder. "It's... this is fucking strange..."  
Altaïr clung to Desmond and refused to let go, his gaze darting from one Assassin to the next. William chuckled, and Desmond cast him an irritated glare.  
Finally, the entire thing slowed, and stopped, the doors pinging and sliding open.  
Jacob shoved last Aveline and William and flattened himself against the wall, breathing a loud sigh of relief. Evie held her stomach and leaned against the wall beside him, shaking her head.  
"That was terrifying." She said slowly.  
Aveline could relate.  
William stoked out and peered back in, to where Desmond slowly moved through the doors.  
"Altaïr, buddy, you can let go of me now."  
"It's stopped, right?" Altaïr's voice was muffled by the fabric of Desmond's jacket.  
"Yeah, it's stopped."  
"Why are we still moving?"  
"Because I'm walking....?"  
"Wha-" Altaïr jumped back and looked at his own feet. "Oh... oh."  
"I would laugh at you," Jacob began, turning back from the wall. "But I'm too nice."  
"Sure you are." Evie boxed his arm. "Now what room-"  
Connor appeared in the doorway of room thirty six a few yards away, peering out.  
"Aveline, you look.... different."  
A muffled shout came from behind him, and he turned his head, looking back inside.  
"You're kidding, that's Edward in there. I got a score to settle with him." Jacob took on a determined look and marched for the door, pushing Connor aside.  
The others followed, unsure whether or not Edward would survive this encounter.  
Haytham sat on the couch with his arms crossed, staring huffily at the T.V. "I don't know what Pirates of the Carribean is," He growled, "But that is not what a pirate does with his money."  
"I love that movie, move over." Desmond sat next to him, ignoring the minor scuffle going on between Edward and Shay on the floor by his feet.  
Aveline and Evie stood next to a stunned Jacob and watched them wrestle for a while.  
"How is it you two manage to get into a fight so quickly?" Connor asked. "I turned my back for not even a minute."  
"That's easy," Haytham said matter of factly, looking down at them. "Edward shoves Shay, Shay shoves Edward, and fists follow shortly thereafter."  
Shay snarled and ducked a fist from Edward, than beat at the captain's stomach. Edward kicked back, missing Shay by an inch. Instead, his foot struck Altaïr directly between the legs, a blow that made every male in the room wince.  
Altaïr sank to the floor, moaning louder than required. Shay pulled away from Edward and kneeled by the Assassin, frowning.  
"Uh... All I can say is that it looks painful."  
"It is!" Altaïr hissed. "Jacob, get him!"  
Jacob smirked, cracking his knuckles.  
Edward jumped to his feet and backed away, hands up. "Looking for a fight as well?"  
"And this is why you need helmets." William said from the couch.  
Edward pointed off behind Jacob. "Abstergo soldiers!"  
"What?" Jacob looked back at the door. "Where- you fucking little-"  
The glass door had been left open by Connor in case Aveline decided to take the quicker way up and climb.  
Now, this worked to his advantage, and he pulled the door shut quietly just as Jacob looked back.  
"Um..." Connor lifted an eyebrow and nudged Aveline's arm. "Should we tell him?"  
"Nah," Desmond heard him say it and whispered his reply. "Let him learn."  
"Learn what?" Evie asked worriedly. "What are you doing to my brother?"  
She said it even as Jacob barrled toward Edward, who taunted him from behind the glass with several rude and vulgar gestures.  
There was a dull boom and Jacob sank to the ground, grasping his head and groaning loudly. Behind the glass, Edward held the railing and his stomach, laughing loud enough to be heard on the other side.  
Everyone in the room, including a wounded Altaïr, had to hide their chuckles, save Shay, who couldn't seem to help himself.  
"What was that you're laughing about, Shamrock?" Jacob snapped, pulling himself up with the bed.  
"Nothing." Shay replied curtly. "My name isn't Shamrock."  
"Sure sounds like it."  
"You haven't even heard my name. I'm Shay."  
"What kind of Irish are you, anyway?" Aveline caught Jacob's arm as he started for Shay and shook her head. "Most I've seen are pale and red haired."  
"There are two kinds of us," Shay said huffily. "The black Irish have dark hair and tan easier, like me."  
"Really?" Edward pulled open the door and poked his head in, still grinning. "Izzat why you're one of them Templars?"  
"He's a Templar?" Altaïr hoisted himself up with a bedstand and stepped closer to the couch, pointing a wavering finger Haytham. "We have two of those bastards in our midst now?"  
"We haven't done anything wrong," Haytham said.  
"Well, you did..." Connor began nervously.  
Haytham shot him a look and glanced at Shay.  
They had been allies long enough to learn each other's facial expressions, and the message Haytham sent was clear.  
They needed to leave these Assassins, the sooner the better.  
Shay nodded.

***  
"Okay, guys, William texted where they're at. Third floor, thirty sixth room. Shaun had the pizza slices in the backpack so everyone upstairs gets dinner, got it? Now, there's a nifty little contraption in there that will carry us up toward the third floor. It's kind of scary, I'll admit, but kind of cool."  
"I don't do flying things." Arno said nervously, gazing into the lobby. "Not since that balloon ride with Elise."  
"It's flying?!" Ezio asked.  
"No, no, no, it's suspended with a cable... forget it, just- just come on." Shaun pushed open the doors and went into the lobby, pointing at the little room in the corner. "Take a look, it's nice, no?"  
"Um..." Ezio and Arno shared a look. "Sure."  
"Come on, guys. You'll be fine." Rebecca gently pushed them both in and pressed the button labeled 'three'. "You'll see."  
The room lurched once, then started upward.  
Ezio and Arno yelped, instinctively reaching for the closest solid thing. That happened to be each other.  
"Oh, my God, this priceless. I need a picture of this." Shaun fumbled through his backpack, until Rebecca slapped his hand.  
"Don't be so cruel."  
"It's not cruel, it's funny."  
Ezio whimpered as the room slowled down, then released Arno and straightened his clothes out like nothing happened.  
"Speak of that, and I swear to God, I'll have your head." Arno muttered.  
"I was about to say the same." Ezio nodded at him as Rebecca and Shaun tried the labeled door, an do pushed it open.  
"We're home!" Rebecca called.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; Templars will be Templars <3\. Ezio and Arno just click, the handsome one and the obnoxiously cute one. I just had a thought; everyone falls into one of those two categories.  
> Better_In_Black_1234; The same 50 square foot room, all of them... This just got interesting.  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Escalators ARE evil. And creepy. To the point of suspicion. As for Jacob and the glass door, that glass door is about to have its day of Windex soaked reckoning. Shamrock does fit Shay. I didn't really think Shay was a manly name till I saw his face. And now it's the most masculine thing I'll ever hear.  
> dani; Templars and technology sounds like a good fit, except for slow Internet. Just imagine Shay and Haytham when a video won't stop buffering. One would be smashing it and the other would be attempting to chuck it as far as it will fly.  
> Brackenfrond; I caught another person's attention for an entire story? *_* Thanks for staying! You're like the tenth person! And yeah I have soft spots for them Templars too, you're deinately not alone.

All eyes turned toward the door.  
Desmond, William and Haytham still sat on the couch, while Evie and Jacob were busy arm wrestling (Neither had the advantage). Connor and Aveline were outside, speaking about something, no one could hear through the glass. Shay held a very pissed and struggling Altaïr to his chest to keep the Assassin from attacking Edward, who huddled behind the bed with fits of laughter.  
"Anyone hungry?" Shaun unslung the backpack and zipped it open.  
Arno and Ezio sidled past them and watched Evie and Jacob while they arm wrestled, one rooting for the other.  
Shay released Altaïr (The Assassin quite literally went flying, landing on his belly on top of the bed, looking down at a very surprised Edward.) and trotted over.  
"Wait a minute." Rebecca stopped in front of him and raised an eyebrow. "You're the one they're looking for, Shay."  
"Yes, now what's he giving out for food-"  
"Pizza." Shaun proclaimed, holding up a clear plastic bag.  
Haytham came up beside Shay and poked at the bag with his finger, smiling. "It... is food, I suppose."  
"It's Italian!" Ezio called.  
Jacob's arm flopped to the side and he jumped up, throwing his hands in the air. "I won! Hey, what do you mean, 'it's Italian'-"  
"You didn't win, she did." Arno pointed to Jacob's twin and crossed his arms.  
"Better listen to him, Jacob." Evie stood and smiled.  
"I won!" Her brother persisted, starting for Shaun and his pizza.  
"He does that all the time. The last time he beat me, we were eighteen and I was half asleep. I'm the older one!" She added, raising her voice.  
Jacob waved his hand, then snatched Shay's pizza right from his hand.  
"You have ten seconds to give that back or you won't piss for a week." Shay said calmly.  
Jacob had not yet become aware of that unspoken rule. Never seperate a man from his pizza. "I'll help you count, Shamrock."  
"Nine seconds."  
"Eight, seven, six, five, four..."  
Edward raced up to Jacob and swiped it from his hand, biting into it with a wide grin. "Mine now!" He said, and dove to the left in time for Altaïr to barrel into Rebecca.  
"Edward!" Shay bellowed, lunging after him.  
Haytham and Desmond stepped out of the way for the two to race past, then resumed eating their pizza.  
"Altaïr, see, that's how you get rid of a pest." Jacob smiled as Shaun gave the two their pieces.  
Ezio and Arno relaxed on the couch, staring at the T.V. Something involving two people beating each other up with giant red gloves was on and it looked rather interesting.  
"Wait." Evie nibbled her piece and frowned, looking toward the balcony. "Shouldn't we tell them?"  
"I'll get them." Jacob finished his pizza and headed for the glass door, holding both hands out.  
"Hey, buddy." William grasped Jacob's shoulder (Dodging a little to the right so Shay could tackle Edward.) and turned to the bathroom. "I'll show you a trick."  
"But the last time-"  
"Desmond isn't good with doors."  
"Says the guy who can't turn on his phone." Desmond bit into his pizza with a triumphant grin.  
"That only happened once!"  
William pushed into the bathroom and knelt by the sink, pulling open the cabinets. "Where is... hotels always have it, see?"  
He withdrew a rag and a bottle of bright blue liquid, smirking. "Windex. Spray this when you get within a foot of the 'open' door. Wipe it off when you come back in, though."  
"What is it-" Jacob put his finger on the trigger at the top and pulled, pointing it at the wall. It was splashed with bubbly spray. "This is the most useful thing since trains." He said, grinning.  
"Be careful with that thing, though. Don't try and drink it; Shaun did that once."  
"You swore you'd never speak of that!" Shaun called through the wall. "Shay! Cramming pizza down Edward's throat will not solve his hunger problems! Rebecca! Help me out here,-"  
Jacob poked his head out and squirted the bottle at the nearest person.  
"Jacob." Evie wiped her face and crossed her arms. "You know that pact we made once, what one does to another, the other does it to them?"  
"Oh, fuck."  
He slammed the door and sat with his back against it, tossing the bottle at William.  
"Take it-please-hide it-help-"  
Evie forced the door open, looped an arm around Jacob's neck, and rubbed her knuckles as hard as she could through his hair.  
William winced. He hadn't had someone give him a noogie in a long time, but the memory of it was actually quite painful.

***  
"So." Aveline studied the water lapping serenly at the edge of the pond below them. Well, she called it a pond.  
"This world is strange." Connor said slowly. He looked back through the glass door as Shaun, Arno, and Ezio frantically tried to pull Shay off of Edward. Desmond, Haytham, and Rebecca watched from the couch, clearly having problems concealing their laughter. "But humorous."  
"Aye." She followed his gaze. "So what happens now?"  
"Now?" Connor shrugged. "Those two inside are Templars, though it's easy to forget. Desmond and Rebecca and Shaun aren't doing anything about it, though."  
"We're not going to kill them, are we?" Aveline squeaked. She had taken a liking to them, despite their Templar allegiances.  
"No, no." Connor shook his head. "Just be suspicious-"  
Jacob threw open the glass door, with a triumphant war cry.  
His hair was messy and he held a rag in one hand and a bottle of blue foam liquid in the other, but he seemed to ignore these minor discrepancies and clapped Aveline and Connor each on the back with the hand holding the rag. "Shaun brought some food, just step around Edward and Shay and the people trying to break them up."  
"Okay..." Aveline smiled and followed Connor inside, to where Shaun broke away from the group and handed them a clear bag.  
"It's called pizza, it's Italian, it's really good." He said quickly, then stumbled back as Ezio and Arno managed to pulled Shay away from Edward.  
Shay swore several times and held out both arms, flopping face first onto one of the beds, and mumbled something under his breath.  
"He's got the right idea," Rebecca observed. "I'm tired, too."  
"Maybe the ladies can have the beds." Evie strode to the bed and pushed at Shay's chest. He didn't move.  
"No? Out cold." She said, walking around the bed with a look of contemplation.  
"You can roll him off." Haytham offered. "He's taken far worse."  
"Nah," Rebecca shook her head. "If he can fall asleep that fast it takes a lot off our shoulders. 'Sides, one of you wakes up too soon and you're so vocal it's obnoxious."  
"Yeah," Jacob smiled. "One less guy to fight with."  
"I'll get you yet." Edward retorted.  
"Not while I have this Windex.'  
"This what?" Connor asked. "What is that, anyway?"  
"Stuff," William said. "Stuff you can't really flaunt."  
"Guys!" Desmond put his hands up and stood. "We'll leave Shay alone, but for now, let's all get in the middle of the room."  
"What are we doing?" Arno asked, heeding his instructions.  
"Okay," Desmond began when everyone was huddled in a circle. "On the count of twenty, race to where you want to sleep. Who ever gets there first gets there first, it's their choice to allow someone with them. Got it?"  
"Yes." They all echoed.  
"Five, ten, fifteen...."  
The night ended with quite a strange turnout.  
Edward passed out laying crooked in the bathtub, one leg thrown over the edge.  
Jacob slept with his back against the bathroom door, ready to make Edward wonder why it wouldn't open (Little did he know, the door opened inward, where Edward was.).  
Aveline sat with her back against the T.V. stand, her feet propped up with a pillow swiped from under Evie's head. Desmond and William both ended up sleeping with their backs to the hotel room door in case Abstergo tried to show up.  
Haytham rediscovered his chair on the balcony, and fell asleep with his chin to his chest.  
Arno sat Indian style on the couch, with Ezio originally sleeping next to him in the same position.  
The word originally being used because he had tossed in his sleep and ended up lying across the couch, his knees hooked over the edge. His head rested on Arno's lap, and Arno didn't have the heart to move him.  
Evie lay sprawled over the bed, having literally shoved Connor off of it.  
Connor lay curled up on the floor, content to sleep on the rug.  
Rebecca sat with her back to the wall, her arms crossed and her head down.  
Shaun slept against the foot of Shay's bed, although at some point during the night he had tossed, so he went from having his back to the bedpost to having his back to the floor.  
Altaïr ended up thrown over the back of Shay's legs, for two reasons. One, it was actually quite comfortable when Shay wasn't kicking in his sleep, and two, he didn't trust him not to leave or try to kill them all.  
Despite some of them having odd sleeping positions, by the time the clock chimed midnight, everyone was perfectly comfortable.


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; I nearly died in the beginning of Rogue with the introduction. Black Flag's is one of the best, too.  
> just a fan; Yep, they're finally together again :)  
> PoisonHw; Evie seems like somewhat of a tomboy; just in that she'd be more willing to squash a bug or arm wrestle with someone.  
> Better_in_Black_1234; Good morning, boys and girls of the Assassins (and Templars)!

Edward, naturally, was the first one awake.  
He slid out of the bathtub and stretched, eyeing himself in the mirror. Good, he looked the same as when he did back in the eighteenth century, only with more comfortable clothes.  
He pulled open the door and jumped back with a loud yelp.  
Jacob cracked his head on the tile floor and swore so loudly and passionately Blackbeard was put to shame.  
"You fucking little motherf-"  
"I didn't know you were there, man, don't soil your breeches." Edward said honestly, laughing. He stepped around Jacob and froze in the doorway, peering out the glass. "What the hell happened? It snowed!"  
"It what? And I'm not wearing breeches. These are jeans." Jacob stood and rubbed the back of his head, following his line of sight. "Your son's out there, remember?"  
"He's not my son...." Edward began irritably. "At least.... I'm not sure. Let's go wake him up. He probably just froze his arse off."  
The two stepped around Aveline and avoided tripping over a slumped over Shaun to get to the glass door, at which point Jacob pushed Edward ahead of him.  
"You go first, I don't have my Windex. I swear Altaïr hid it or something."  
Edward gave him an irritable glare, but threw open the glass door, stepping out onto the snow covered balcony. Haytham was slumped in the chair, snow covering his shoulders and arms.  
"Hey, wake up." Jacob kicked the foot of the chair, ignoring Edward's awestruck stare.  
The entire city was bathed in white and the light blue morning glow, a breathtaking view. Below, the streets were covered in snow, and someone had come out during the night and thrown a blue shiny tarp over the pool.  
"What- why's it so-"  
"I'd go inside if I were you," Jacob jerked his thumb at the door. "It's bloody cold out here."  
"Hey," Edward crouched by the balcony railing. It was made of metal, and coated in a thin layer of ice and frost. "Altaïr's from Masyaf, right?"  
"Yes," Haytham and Jacob knelt by him.  
"What are you getting at?" Jacob asked.  
"Well, let's prank him. What happens when you put your tongue against something metal when it's frozen, or an icicle."  
"Now that's just cruel, Father." Haytham shrugged and stood. "I won't stop you, but I want no part of this."  
"Just wake him up, at least." Jacob grinned and clapped Edward on the back. "Best idea yet."

***  
Arno, Ezio, and Connor were woken by a strangled howl.  
Edward and Jacob rushed inside and closed the glass door, laughing under their breaths. Haytham stood by the T.V, trying to figure it out, clearly ignoring their laughter.  
"What happened? Who's screaming?" Connor asked.  
"It snowed?" Arno's eyes widened, and he felt Ezio leap off his lap excitedly.  
Wait.  
Ezio.  
Leapt off his lap.  
Had he been sleeping....?  
The Italian's eyes landed on Arno and he out a finger to his lips before rushing off to shove Edward and Jacob aside.  
Keep his mouth shut.  
Right.  
Arno followed Ezio and Connor outside, ignoring Jacob and Edward's multiple attempts to stop them.  
Altaïr's tongue was stuck to the balcony railing.  
The Assassin was in a crouched position with his head twisted to the side, frantically waving his arms and making odd, hilarious noises at the back of his throat.  
"Um... should I even ask?" Connor began, kneeling by the Assassin.  
Arno and Ezio fell over each other laughing.  
"You know," Ezio began, "I'd be asking how Edward and Jacob came to work together."  
"Thtop laffing! You novithes!"  
"Translation," Jacob stuck his head out the glass door (after striking his forehead against it numerous times.) "'Stop laughing! You novices!'"  
"Thtop! Halp!"  
"You should have wet your tongue, Altaïr!" Aveline's voice wafted from the hotel room. "Your tongue wouldn't stick that way!"  
"Someone free him already! I'm trying to sleep!" Evie shouted.  
"Yeth! Pleath!" Altaïr waved his hands frantically. "Dethmond! Thay! Thaun!"  
Arno, Ezio, Jacob, Edward, Aveline, and even Connor couldn't stop laughing. Aveline hadn't seen Altaïr's position yet, but from the sounds of it, it was distressingly funny.  
"Oh, for bloody fuck's sake." Shaun came out of the hotel room with a bottle of water, then pushed Ezio aside. The Italian went toppling into Connor, who fell onto Arno, who stumbled into the hotel room onto Haytham and Jacob and simply couldn't get up again, he was laughing so hard.  
"Look here, pull back as far as you can and hold your breath. Okay? No- away, Altaïr, lean away-oh, come on. Desmond! I need your help! Rebecca, William? Someone from the twenty first century!"  
Desmond stepped around the laughing group of Assassins, rubbing his eyes. "What? What's wrong? Why are Edward and Jacob getting along?"  
"They decided to pull a prank on Altaïr here. He's never seen ice, and so...."  
"They thed it tathted like gapths."  
"They said it tasted like grapes?" William stuck his head out and chuckled. "My God, kiddo, you've never seen snow, huh?"  
"Kitho?"' Altaïr chimed indignantly. "You novith! Ahm notha kitho!"  
"You novice, I'm not a kiddo?" Desmond eased the water bottle from Shaun's grasp and gently held Altaïr's jaw away from the metal railing. He uncapped the bottle and tipped it forward, so the water spilled over Altaïr's tongue and chin.  
Instantly he was free, and Altaïr lunged to his feet, shoving William and a half-awake Rebecca out of the way.  
Edward and Jacob scra,bled to their feet just as the Assassin barreled through the door, with Jacob skittering toward the bathroom and Edward taking a flying leap onto Shay's bed.  
Altaïr leapt after him and made an attempt to punch Edward's mouth.  
The pirate rolled out of the way, so the punch landed in the middle of Shay's back, right between his shoulder blades.  
Aveline and Connor both drew in sharps breaths. "That looked like it hurt." Connor said slowly.  
"He didn't wake up, though." Aveline knelt in front of the bed (Shay had buried his face in the pillow.) and eased the Templar's head away from it so he faced her.  
"Stop," he croaked, swatting at her hand.  
"Look at that scar," Edward came up within inches of Shay's face and prodded with two fingers at the scar above his eyebrow.  
"I wouldn't do that," Haytham warned. "He doesn't sound well, and he's got a reaction when it comes to the scar."  
"Yeah?" Edward continued poking at it, chuckling when Shay's upper lip twitched. "What's that?"  
"You're about to find out, if you keep doing that."  
Edward poked at it again, and Shay sneezed so suddenly Aveline threw herself against the opposite bed.  
"Youfuckingsonuvagoddamn-"  
Shay sat up and blinked, rubbed his nose and chuckling. "Haytham warned you." His voice was rough and low, like it was painful to talk.  
Edward frantically pawed at his face. "You were awake! You knew!"  
"Yes, I did...." Shay trailed off in a coughing fit and lay back against the bed, groaning.  
Rebecca pushed herself to her feet and pressed her hand against Shay's head.  
On the floor, even Arno and Ezio seemed to have quieted down, erupting in occasionally bouts of giggles.  
"Warm. Should have known one of you guys would be sick."  
"Oh, God!" Shaun clapped his hands together. "Jacob! Get out of the bathroom! I have to wash my hands!"  
"Is it safe?..." Came the tiny reply.  
"Yes, it's safe!" Desmond knocked on the door and held an arm out to stop an advancing Altaïr. "Shaun's being a hypocondriact."  
"I am not!" Shaun snapped indignantly. "The common cold is a very contagious illness!"  
"For fuck's sake," Shay said loudly. "Quit your complaining. It's not like anyone slept with me."  
Arno and Ezio eyed each other.  
"Yeah," Edward called. "But you ate his pizza."  
"That was you." Shay rolled over and ducked out of the way of Rebecca's concerned forehead check. "And I wasn't hungry."  
"Just let him sleep."' Evie stood and made her way to bathroom door, which Jacob still kept locked despite Shaun's frantic beatings. "Open the door, Jacob!"  
"But Altaïr-"  
"Relax, Haytham will deal with him."  
Haytham looked at her.  
Then back at Altaïr.  
The two glared at each other, until Haytham lunged forward and threw his arm around Altaïr's chest, "Open the door!"  
Jacob threw it open and scrambled out of the way, heading for the balcony.  
Well, he tripped over Arno, kicked Ezio in the side, stumbled over Edward's hasitly-stuck-out-ankle, until he stepped outside and clung to the metal railing.  
At least William had forgotten to close the glass door this time.

***  
This threw a a sword in their plans.  
Haytham sighed and kept Altaïr firmly attached to him, keeping the Assassin from killing Jacob and Edward.  
Shay knew it, too. He was either playing the sick card (That little quirk with his scar was something Haytham had learned about long ago, and so had Gist.) or he really wasn't feeling well.  
Either way.  
Haytham closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the world was blue.  
Eagle Vision as useful when he couldn't tell friend from foe.  
Ezio, Altaïr, Evie, Aveline, Arno, William, Desmond and Rebecca glowed red.  
Just as he thought.  
Shay glowed a pale blue, although it was somewhat tinged with red. Lingering Assassin links.  
Connor and Edward glowed blue, as well, probably because they were related to him.  
Shay rolled over and peered at him, and from the look he gave Haytham (Haytham was, to the others, staring off into space while he held a kicking, thrashing Altaïr.) the Grandmaster understood his message.  
I don't care if I'm sick.  
I have tried my own Eagle Vision, too.  
We need to leave.  
Tonight.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; :P Like I said, those two just click! Frenchies and Italians ftw :)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Definitely madame, although I've no aversion to being called 'sir'. And thank you! (As you can see, though, lots of ideas were suggested by others.). Altaïr's never seen snow, right? Twenty five, was when he became a Master, and as far as I know he never left Masyaf before that.  
> dani; I may end up doing something with everyone's scar, although Haytham, Jacob, Aveline, and Evie seem to lack one.  
> just a fan; They always find a way ;)

The rest of the day passed almost seamlessly.  
Or perhaps that depends on the seamstress.  
Jacob and Edward had discovered each other's pranking talents, and had actually seemed to meet aside their differences enough to tease Shay- despite being sick, the Irishman made it very clear they would both miss out on tongues for the rest of their lives if they continued. A warning they ignored, of course- and get into occasional squabbles with Altaïr.  
Haytham had developed somewhat of a liking for football, and both he and William passed the snowed-in time watching the football games on T.V.  
Rebecca had pulled out her computer to do what she called 'a routine checkup on how their man inside, John from IT, was doing', and thus attracted the attention of Aveline and Evie.  
"What's that arrow thing?" Evie traced her finger on the screen, following the white arrow that pranced about, moved by Rebecca's mouse.  
"Well, it's an arrow thing."  
"But what's it do? And what's that? Internet Explorer? Is there some other continent we have yet to explore?" Aveline questioned, peering over Rebecca's shoulder.  
"I mean, it.... here, I'll show you. Do you guys like funny pranks?"  
As if reminded, Edward and Jacob raced by, heading for the bathroom. A cursing Altaïr followed shortly thereafter.  
"I grew up on those. Jacob didn't know when to quit." Evie said, watching as they slammed the door in the Syrian Assassin's face. "He still doesn't."  
"I don't mind. Let's see." Aveline shrugged. "Keep the volume down, though. I don't want Shay to wake up and go Templar on us."  
"I already am awake." Shay rolled over onto his back and coughed. "Can't sleep with those three rushing about like bees." He threw a pillow at Jacob while the British Assassin raced by again, chased by Altaïr.  
"You've had maybe ten hours of sleep, man, just come join us." Edward yelped and dodged a tackling attempt from Altaïr.  
Altaïr dove toward Connor, and with an angry hiss, Connor jumped up and started chasing him.  
The Assassin's eyes widened and he barreled through Edward and Jacob, a feeble squeak sounding from his mouth.  
"Great, make that four. That's enough of that, or I'll-"  
"Aw, poor Shamrock's down on his luck, eh?" Jacob quipped, jostling Edward's elbow.  
"You call me that again....." Shay stopped and sneezed a few times before swinging his bare feet over the edge of the bed. ".... and I'll throw you over the balcony."  
The color drained from the pair's faces, and they scrambled for the bathroom after Altaïr.  
The door was already locked, the Assassin having shut himself inside to avoid Connor.  
"Altaïr! Let us in!" Edward hiwled, ducking under Connor's arm.  
"Yes! Oh, fu-" Jacob tripped over Arno- both he and Ezio were arm wrestling, and it appeared Arno was winning - and stumbled forward, crashing into the floor.  
"No! Edward! Go on without me!" He called dramatically, his hands scrabbling at the floor and Shay hefted him over his shoulder.  
"Too late for that," The Templar said gruffly. "Ready for a swim?"  
"I promise I won't do it again! No! It's cold out there! Shaun! Haytham! Ezio! Help me, you mad bastards!"  
Everyone looked away, suppressing a chuckle.  
Rather than toss him off the balcony, Shay made it a point to throw Jacob onto the bed.  
"Now, the only reason I didn't do anything is because...."  
His eyes rolled into his head and he slumped toward the floor.  
"You know," Shaun began. "I think he could use a Monster energy drink, or a coffee."  
Jacob scrambled to the edge of the bed and peered over at Shay's still form. "Edward! Our problem is solved!"  
"Really? Oh, he's... now how did that happen?" The captain asked.  
"Oh, my God! That was so..." Rebecca, Evie, and Aveline clutched their stomachs and laughed loudly, pointing at the computer on the bed.  
"What are you three laughing about?" Ezio and Arno stepped over Shay and watched the screen, tongues in cheeks.  
"Is no one going to make sure he's alright?" Haytham asked.  
"Altaïr, you can come out now. It was a mistake, right?" Connor asked.  
"And there he goes! Over the line! Our team brought a win!" William pumped his fist.  
"No one's going to make sure he's alright." Haytham sighed, then crouched by Shay, using his index finger to scratch quickly at Shay's scar.  
The Templar sneezed and sat up, blinking. "What-"  
"Oh, hell." Edward and Jacob slowly backed away, hands up.  
"Well." Haytham said. "You have a tendency to receive the worst end of a cold."  
"Ugh." Shay pulled himself up onto the bed, "See, Edward? This is what I get for joining you."  
On the bed beside them, Rebecca, Ezio, Arno, Aveline, and Evie fell into a heap laughing.  
"Now what's so funny?" Connor crawled up on top of them and gazed at the screen. "What am I looking at?"  
"The best fails of the year!" Aveline proclaimed through bouts of laughter. "See? He bounced up and down on that blue board, and then he fell over it on the last one!"  
"You mean diving board, " Rebecca gasped, "His foot slipped."  
Altaïr poked his head out and peered at them. "I hear laughter."  
Connor's eyes widened and he began to chuckle. After a while he began to laugh, and he fell in with the others.  
"But that's so painful." Altaïr flinched when the man jumped on the diving board again and fell. "Why won't he stop?"  
"Different guy. This one has to do with pool fails." Rebecca said.  
"Pool... fails?"  
Jacob smiled at him. "Remember that time in the backyard, when you-"  
"ShutyourmouthbeforeIfillitwithWindex-"  
"Boys!" Desmond barked. He stood and raised an eyebrow at the bed beside him, where Connor, Ezio, Evie, Aveline and Rebecca were piled up, clutching their stomachs with laughter. "Just find somewhere to sleep. It's already nine o' clock."  
"Already?" Shay sat up on the bed and coughed loudly. "Damn."

***  
Shay knelt in front of him, the snow giving a thin layer of white to his shoulders and head.  
It was definitely late, at least one after midnight.  
"We need to leave, now." He said in a low, rough voice.  
"Are you shivering? It's not that bad out here." Haytham could see the heat radiating from Shay, the sweat beading his forehead. He really was sick.  
"Haytham, if we wait any longer..." Shay trailed off and coughed, painfully suppressing it in the crook of his arm.  
"We can wait if you're ill. Go back inside."  
"No," Shay snapped. "They're going to send us back to our time zone if we stay. And we're Templars. Abstergo won't hurt us."  
"They still want us, Cormac. And don't you want to go home? I want to see everyone again, definately. And what about your Morrigan?"  
Shay went silent, his fevered eyes darting out over the city.  
"I don't think I want to go. Look at this place. People on other sides of the planet, they can talk to us through a tiny little... square. And that computer the others fell asleep laughing about? At least, I think it was called a computer."  
"Please," Haytham scoffed. "We'll see how you are in the morning, and then we'll find a way to leave. Alright?"  
Shay sniffed and stood, turning back toward the glass door. "Morning." He muttered.

***  
Okay.  
It was safe.  
Desmond slipped off the couch he was sleeping on with his father.  
Edward must have fallen asleep in the bathroom again, because he was nowhere to be seen.  
Rebecca and Aveline lay at the bottom of a heap of Assassins, sleeping soundly.  
Ezio had fallen asleep in that pile, his feet next to Arno's head.  
Arno had one foot thrown over Ezio's neck, the other hanging over the edge of the bed.  
Evie slept on the floor, on top of Jacob, who was curled into a ball, his thumb suspiciously tucked into his lips. They must have fallen off some time during the night. Connor lay on top of Altaïr, who slept widthwise across the bed, sprawled out over everyone else.  
The computer was safe and sound on top of a pillow, still running a quiet version of the videos they were watching before they all fell asleep.  
Shaun sat with his back to the door, the backpack tucked into the corner beside him.  
Shay had crawled under the covers sometime the night before (He had originally fallen asleep with on top of them, weird.) but apparently kicked them off onto the floor.  
Haytham was still rooted in that chair, his head tilted down.  
Desmond trotted over to the backpack and slowly unzipped it, pulling out his prize.  
A small bag of gummy bears he had always saved for when he was hungry.  
Well, until the Assassins went to sleep.  
They were just like children, and he was the daddy.  
No, wait.  
That sounded wrong. They were technically his....  
Desmond frowned as he carefully padded back to the couch and carefully ripped it open.  
Aha, the first gummy bear of the day, hel-lo cherry flavored bear of deliciousness-  
"What's that?"  
Desmond froze, the gummy bear inches from his mouth.  
Ezio shoved Connor's head off his stomach and rolled off the bed, rubbing his eyes.  
"Ezio?" Arno asked slowly, his eyes opening.  
Shitshitshitshitbogiesawakehidetheloothidetheloot-  
"Um..." Desmond moved the bag where Ezio couldn't see it. "Nothin'."  
"I smell fruit." Arno sat up and sidled over, staring where Desmond had covered it.  
"It's, um... it's Rebecca's perfume."  
"Oh, shit!" Ezio's eyes widened. "We slept with girls! Arno, we got to sleep with Evie! She's so freaking h-"  
"Don't say that," Arno whispered. "Jacob will kill you!"  
"Fine," Ezio grumbled, following Arno's gaze to the bag of hidden gummy bears. "I smell fruit, too. And it's not perfume."  
"You're both crazy." Desmond squashed the gummy bear in his fist and grinned.  
"No." Shay pushed himself up from the covers and sniffed, then shook his head. "Ach, I can't smell it. But no one was wearing perfume when I could smell it, either."  
"What's everyone waking up about?" William yawned broadly. "Did you finally whip out those gummy bears-"  
"Shut your fucking gob!" Desmond exclaimed, shoving a handful of the tiny bears into his dad's mouth. He drew his hand back and cringed. "Uh... sorry. I've been in that Animus too long."  
"Candy?" Arno smiled. "Can I have some?"  
"Me too! They look like sugar!" Ezio piped up.  
"Oh, crap. Fine, you three can have some, but keep it down. I give it to some and suddenly I'm mobbed by Assassins.... and Templars."  
Shay moved to the edge of his bed and held out his hand, as did Arno and Ezio.  
"Okay, there are maybe fifty in here, and five of us. Ten, alright?" Desmond meticulously counted out everyone's share and stuffed the bag in his pocket. "Enjoy some twenty first century candy."  
"I can't even taste it." Shay muttered disappointedly.  
"Wait a minute. It's squishy. Why's it squishy?! Is it rotten?!" Ezio held up a green gummy bear and seemed to panic.  
"I think it's supposed to be that way." Arno patted his shoulder and showed him all of his gummy bears. "Look."  
"Yeah, they're called gummy for a reason." William said. "Now keep it down or someone will-"  
"What kind of candy is that?" Jacob's head appeared last the pile of people. "Give me some."  
"You know what?" Desmond said dryly. "Next time I'll just buy a Pepsi."  
Shay's eyes widened and his ears perked. "No! Those things are pure fucking evil!"  
"What?" William choked. "Pepsi's not evil."  
Shay shook his head. "Tell Edward and Connor that, then."  
"I'm guessing something happened between you and a soda?" Desmond asked slowly.  
"I don't even know what a soda is," Ezio said. "Shay, are you going to eat the rest of yours?"  
Shay threw his handful at Ezio.  
"Thank you!" The Italian dropped to his feet and searched for the gummy bears, crawling around Arno's legs.  
"No, seriously." William said. "What happened with a soda?"  
"Well, something very similar to a bomb. Scare us shitless." The Templar said honestly, then sneezed a few times. "It was fucking awful."  
"Wait a minute." Desmond chuckled. "You, you... let me get this straight... you shook it?"  
"I guess....?"  
"Oh, my God." William laughed and tapped his son's shoulder. "You are all so clueless..."  
"It's not funny," Shay began indignantly. "It's fucked up-"  
"Ow! Jacob, I'm going to shove that gummy bear down your throat-"  
Ezio tackled the Assassin as he swiped a gummy bear from his hand.  
"Here we go again." Desmond moaned.


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brackenfrond; Yep, I try to be consistent with update times. Usually one every night, but that doesn't always happen. This is where the gummy bear idea came from;  
> https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W0w5oGVwJ_Q  
> PoisonHw; :D You like my fic! Their escapade should be happening soon, as Haytham is true to his word. Except when it comes to prisoners. Oh, those poor fellows.  
> IcedFireFrenzy; I could definitely introduce them to some Coke!

The next day passed just fine as well.  
Fine may be an overstatement. Bearable for Shaun, William, Rebecca, and Desmond is more like it.  
Connor, Aveline, and Evie could not pull themselves from the computer, having discovered the wonderful world of pranks and failure videos. Ezio and Arno spent most of the day hunting for some gummy bears on the floor (They must have cracked heads at least five times.). Haytham and William watched a few more football games, and then Forrest Gump. Haytham was more entranced by the technology rather than the actual events. Edward and Jacob lingered outside on the balcony, scooping up snowballs and laughing when someone walked under, into their trap. They were sworn at so many times William had to come out and apologize for their behavior. Shay remained on his bed, occasionally barking at them to keep it down or for fuck's sake to stop diving under the bed. Altaïr lingered in front of the T.V, attempting to change the station on William and Haytham several times. (Haytham mentioned a vague threat that had something to do with that remote and Altaïr's behind.)  
"Okay, you guys are gonna wear out the battery." Rebecca gently began to move the computer aside.  
"No...."'Evie groaned, reaching after it. "It was so funny...."  
"Okay, fine, it's still got fifty percent." Rebecca eased it back and backed away hands up. "Don't yell at me when it dies, though."  
"It's going to die?" Connor asked worriedly. "What about its spirit?"  
"It's... Connor, it's a computer. It-it has no spirit." Shaun said tiredly.  
"But-"  
"We'll give it a proper burial, then," Aveline said, patting his back.  
"No, guys, when it dies, it doesn't.... die, per say. It just needs to be recharged."  
"Like how when you're tired and you sleep, you wake up and you're not tired?" Connor asked.  
"That's not working for me!" Shay sat up on the bed and rolled his shoulders, wincing. "I'm still tired and I've been trying to sleep for the last two days."  
"Shamrock, no one asked your opinion!" Jacob called through the glass door.  
"What was that, you little-"  
"Boys," William grasped Shay's shoulder. "He probably can't even hear you."  
"Oh, yes, I can!" Jacob yelled.  
"Jacob! Shut! Up!" Evie raised her voice back at him.  
Save the sound of laughter from Edward, her brother went silent.  
"I think this is the last one," Arno held up a blue gummy bear. Beside him, Ezio crawled out from under the bed, his eyes wide.  
"Can I touch it?"  
"Sure."  
"What should we do with it?"  
"Guys. It's a fucking gummy bear." Desmond said blankly. "You eat it."  
Arno looked at Ezio.  
Ezio looked at Arno.  
With a loud war cry, Arno sprang to his feet and raced away, tripping over Altaïr.  
Ezio jumped on top of him and lunged for the gummy bear, his fingers twisted in a claw like shape.  
The gummy bear disappeared from Arno's hand, and vanished into Shay's mouth.  
"And this," Shay said, when he swallowed, "Is why both of you need to learn the art of sharing."  
"Shay." Arno and Ezio said slowly.  
The Templar's eyes widened and he dove for his bed, laughing the entire way.  
Ezio and Arno clambered on top of him, laughing and beating him with their fists.  
"Hey, guys! Shut up, we're trying to watch a video!" Rebecca snapped. "Desmond! Stick it to them!"  
"Sure, beat up the sick guy." Desmond smirked at Arno and Ezio. "In case you've forgotten, colds are higly contagious."  
The Assassins leapt off Shay and fell over each other trying to get to the bathroom and wash their hands, promising to give Shay their ultimate revenge.  
"And what are you going to do, Assassinate me?" Came the reply.  
The two went quiet.

***  
Haytham sighed and stood up, closing his eyes and opening again for the night vision effects of Eagle Vision.  
Blue, blue, blue, red, red, red.  
He made his way over to Shay.  
Everyone, it seemed had found some exotic way to fall asleep.  
Edward was slumped in the chair outside, Jacob sitting against his leg.  
William and Desmond took up most of the couch, leaving Haytham a small cushion near the end of it.  
Connor had been the only one left watching the computer, and he had fallen asleep while it still played its quiet fails.  
Aveline and Evie lay in a heap on the floor by the foot of Shay's bed (They both must have wanted to make sure he was staying in place, but judging by the fact that they focused their attention on him and didn't divide it to Haytham gave him reason to suspect something else.).  
Ezio and Arno lay near the T.V., Ezio propped up against the wooden stand and Arno lying with his head down and pressed into the Italian's elbow.  
Altaïr slept with his back to the door, next to Rebecca and Shaun. No Abstergo, no problem.  
Haytham nudged Shay's shoulder and bent next to the bed, sighing quietly when he didn't wake up. He muttered for Shay to move his arm up to his mouth- which the Templar did slowly, since he was mostly asleep- and quickly scratched at the scar.  
Shay sneezed against his elbow and sat up, blinking. Haytham could see the flash of his eyes as he used his Eagle Vision, and the curt nod the Irishman gave him when he understood his intentions.  
"Good, now let's get out of here." Haytham whispered, slipping around Evie and Aveline to get to the glass door.  
He pulled it open and stepped onto the balcony, drawing in a sharp breath when he realized he was leaving Edward. Did he want to go home that bad? Was it worth missing out on his father for the second time?  
Haytham whirled around at the sound of a thud and a low curse.  
"Shay," He muttered hoarsely.  
The Templar had tripped over Evie's still form, and he stood with his hand against the bed.  
"I'm coming." Came the soft reply.  
Shay slipped out behind him and climbed up onto the balcony railing, gazing over the city. "How do we intend to do this? Up or down?"  
"Down," Haytham said slowly, eying Edward and Jacob with a mixture of guilt and dislike. "We can cover more ground that way."  
"Down is good." Shay said, and flipped so he had his hands wrapped around the iron bars. He dropped down and disappeared, Haytham following suit.

***  
"Aveline?"  
No, she was too tired. Go away, Evie.  
"Aveline, really."  
"Hm?" She pushed herself off from against the bedpost and sat up. "I'm tired, Evie, what's wrong?"  
"Do you have the gun?"  
"Yes, of course I do... why?"  
"Someone tripped over me." Evie slowly stood up and pointed to the bed and couch. "Haytham and Shay are gone."  
"What? But we slept here so Shay wouldn't-"  
"Okay, that may be a mistake on my account, only because I wanted to sleep here and make sure Shay didn't escape, and you and I both ended up sleeping here...."  
"Okay, Evie, one, it's quite obvious he's attractive, so let's not even go there. And two, they're fucking Templars. Of course they're going to pull this crap."  
"Just take out the gun, I'm going to kill Jacob if he didn't catch them in the act." Evie strode to the glass door and peered out, pointing to two sets of footprints in the snow. "Fresh. And my little brother didn't catch them."  
"Wait a minute, he's your little brother?"  
"I'm the older twin. He just thinks he's so cute because he's the younger one. Oh, I am gonna mess that little face up as soon as he opens his bloody eyes..."  
"Wait, before you go into beating people up, let's see if they're anywhere to be found." Aveline stepped past her and peered down, looking above and below and from side to side. "Nothing."  
"See?" Evie growled. "We need to wake the others up. Now."

***  
Shay's arm shook.  
He couldn't stay here, gripping a ledge directly under the balcony, much longer, and one look at Haytham revealed that he fared no better.  
"... I am gonna mess that little face up as soon as he opens his bloody eyes..."  
"Wait," Aveline's voice wafted from above. "Before you go into beating people up, let's see if they're anywhere to be found."  
The crunch of bare feet on snow, silence. "Nothing."  
"See?" Evie piped up. "We need to wake the others, now."  
Shay and Haytham looked at each other.  
Nodded.  
They both began to work the ledges, searching for quick, easy ways down.  
They were finally going to leave the Assassins behind.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; The other way around would be 'Hay'. I think :) The Assassins of the twenty first century, while equipped with phones, computers and several, able-bodied, boys running around with them, have equal opportunity to catch the renegades first against Abstergo. I'll leave it a mystery for now ;)  
> PoisonHw; That would have been funny xD Although they'd probably have ended up getting caught. That would have been funny, too, and imagine how Connor and Altaïr would have reacted.
> 
> I'm thinking of adding Ziio in, because it would add another strong female character, and because I feel she would put a little more competition between Connor and Haytham.

"They left." Edward shook his head. "Those fuckers actually left."  
"Yeah, what else are you gonna say, smartass?" Jacob snapped. "Let's see... 'They must have taken the computer with them!'"  
"No one is touching that computer." Connor said coldly.  
Aveline put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it."  
"Guys." William rubbed his eyes tiredly. "We have a big problem, so cut the chatter. Two Templars just escaped from right under our noses."  
"Why is it that the only things you people can say are the obvious things?" Jacob moaned.  
"We need to start our search through the city. Now, they couldn't have gotten far-"  
There was a knock at the door.  
Everyone froze.  
"Um..." Ezio cleared his throat. "Who is it?"  
"Housekeeping." Said a tiny voice. "Every three days."  
"Give me fifteen minutes." Ezio said after a long silence (Silence that had been filled with panicked gestures and hoarse whispers on what to tell her.).  
Everyone looked at each other and slowly, quietly, began to gather their things.  
Within the next ten minutes, everyone but Rebeeca and Shaun shimmied down the balcony and onto the early morning snow that had settled on the concrete.  
"Come on!" Arno hissed.  
"I'm coming! Um. Rebecca. Help." Shaun hissed back, as his hand slipped.  
"You're such a baby." Rebecca reached down and grasped his wrist, then began her own journey toward the ground with him in tow.  
When they finally reached the ground, everyone froze and held their breaths as the door was forced open.  
"Search everywhere! They couldn't have gone far!" Came the muffled shouts.  
"Housekeeping at three in the morning." Desmond muttered under his breath. "Should have known Abstergo and Vidic would pull this shit."  
"Go, go, follow their footsteps." Shaun pointed at the footprints in the snow. "See?"  
The footprints led to the fence that boxed in the pool area of the hotel, and then seemed to melt into the road.  
"Well, that's convenient." Evie started down after them, waving her hand. "Before they check the balcony."  
"Um... Guys. Run. Now. Go. Please. They're already on the balcony!" Jacob grabbed his sister's hood and started running, practically dragging her along.  
"Hey! Stop right there!"  
Soldiers burst onto the balcony and fired their high powered weapons at the running Assassins.  
Rebecca ducked as a bullet whizzed over her head, then shoved Arno aside as one passed near his knee.  
Edward stumbled and fell twice, only saved by Altaïr (The Assassin threatened to pound his skull in next time he slipped.).  
They scurried swiftly up the fence, only pausing for Ezio to catch Jacob's wrist when he misjudged where the next handhold was.  
The city still wasn't awake, but the few people that roamed the streets screamed and made a frenzied run for the nearest building.  
"Everyone's got down the blending ability, right? Right?" Desmond asked worriedly. "Look like you're running away among all those others. We'll regroup at the park. It's a few blocks from here. Run!"  
The Assassins scattered, quickly fading into the fleeing crowds of people.

***  
"Where the fuck did they go?" Cliff lowered his rifle and squinted at the streets beyond.  
"Oh, hell, Vidic's going to kill us." Derek lowered his rifle as well and turned back to the room, where the seven other Abstergo soldiers (From the private law enforcement branch of Abstergo.) searched.  
"Those guys picked up on the bullets fast. Even with the suppressors." Cliff said slowly.  
"They're Assassins. It's what they're trained for." Derek motioned to the soldiers. "This hotel's clear."  
"What do we do now?" One of them, a newbie by the name of Jay, asked.  
"We go back to the main building. With any luck Vidic is still there. We'll have to go from there, alright? Move out. Down the elevator and into the van. Try to be discreet; I have a feeling we just fucked up so many little kids."  
"I'm never going to sleep in a hotel again!" A loud wail, in the distinct pitch of a four year old's voice, echoed through the wall.  
"Um... yeah... discreet." Cliff held open the door for them to leave.

***  
"Well, what are we going to do now?" Shay asked.  
"Stay away from the Assassins, for one."  
"That's not a plan, Grandmaster."  
"Neither is asking 'What are we going to do now?', Shamrock."  
"My name isn't Shamrock."  
"And mine isn't Grandmaster."  
"Are we going to do this all night?"  
"That depends on your patience level.... and whether or not you would like to remain a Templar."  
Shay hissed and stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked down the mostly empty street, keeping their heads down.  
"Why don't we try to leave the city?"  
"Abstergo and the Assassins will follow us." Shay pointed out. He stopped and coughed into his arm.  
"Well..." Haytham waited for him before continuing. "Abstergo seems to find us within a matter of days, no matter where we are. There's bound to be a frontier."  
"Ah, yes, because they can't fly and beat us to it." Shay groaned.  
Haytham sighed. It as the kind of sigh exclusive only to Grandmasters, Shay was beginning to realize. When they sighed like that, it meant it was time to shut up or talk about something else.  
"Can we at least find somewhere to get out of this cold?" He sneezed and rubbed at his nose. "Damn sickness is coming back again."  
"I can see that." Haytham said dryly. "We don't have the money for another inn, though."  
"At this point, I could sleep in a tree and that would be fine."  
"Be careful what you wish for." Haytham pointed up ahead, where a small park broke the monotone gray of the city. There were fairly tall trees, some that hadn't lost their leaves yet.  
The Templars spent the night in the closest on to the middle, Shay stretched out with his back against the trunk, and Haytham lying across a lower branch without bracing himself against anything.  
"You're going to fall." Shay said to him.  
"I am not falling out of this tree, Shamrock. Please, mind your own buisiness." Came the indignant response.  
Judging by the snap and the loud gasp, followed by several curses in a language that sounded Mohawk, Shay guessed Haytham ended up on the ground within twenty minutes of closing his eyes.  
"I warned you!" He called down.  
"Oh, posh, what did I say about minding your own buisiness?!" Haytham called back up.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; Haha here is Ziio, then :)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Yeah, I figured he kind of deserved that. All of them falling out of a tree would be pretty funny, though. Ezio and Arno would completely panic for each other. And Connor would just roll over and go back to sleeping on the ground.  
> PoisonHw; All those tiny Assassin figures running away and scrambling up the fence xD

Ziio sat up.  
Looked to the left. Blank white wall.  
Looked to the right. A wall with a small gray rectangle about Haytham's height. Why did he come to mind?  
Down. Her own moccassins a stark contrast from the smooth, shiny floor. A bed. Everything in the room was clean and white, so clean it was eerie.  
Above. A small, glowing point of light in the roof. That was definitely interesting.  
Back to the situation. Where had she been before waking up in this room? The village, her hut, her son beside her. She had to get back to him.  
Ziio stood and walked along the wall, running her hands over the smooth white surface until she reached the gray rectangle. It was obviously a door, but there was no visible lock or handle to push it open.  
She went back and sat on the bed, crossing her arms. Someone had to be responsible for this. Was this Haytham's doing? Templars?  
The door creaked open and in came a woman with unusual, pinkish colored hair. She pushed it shut behind her and stood in front of Ziio, a friendly smile on her face. There was a bump on her head, although she seemed to ignore it.  
Ziio didn't trust her.  
"My name is Melanie LeMay, and I know this must be hard for you."  
Stay quiet.  
"We just need a few answers-"  
"We."  
"Sorry?"  
"You said we. You're the only one in the room."  
Melanie seemed to get flustered. "Oh-of course. Me and my coworkers. We just want... well, we kind of need... you're familiar with the amulet?"  
Ziio curled her fist. This woman had just let slip an important fact, whether she knew it or not. Or more than just one.  
Fact one: She was a Templar. It was the only way she would want anything to do with the amulet.  
Fact two: The Templars were a ruthless people, driven by the same dark hunger she saw in Haytham's eyes. They did not hesitate to kill.  
Fact three: She didn't plan on giving them what they wanted. That put her life on the line, her son's if she wasn't careful.  
Fact four: Ziio had to escape.  
Melanie sighed. "Your... um... your friend gave it to you. Haytham. "  
Come closer, please. Just a few more feet.  
The pinkish haired woman stepped forward and eased herself onto the bed. All Ziio had to do was cover her mouth and nose long enough for her to pass out.  
"You can remember, can't you-"  
Ziio wrapped one arm around Melanie's neck, bringing her other arms up to cover her mouth.  
Melanie stopped kicking after roughly a minute.  
She was just unconscious for the time being, so Ziio had to be quick.  
She wasn't sure about the keys she had found in Melanie's jacket pocket, but the black weapon that slipped out of the holster hidden at her side was definitely a gun of sorts.  
Ziio thanked her in Mohawk and let herself out, into a dark room filled with...  
Light emitting squares? With small boards with letters on them?  
Ziio frowned and searched for a way out. How was it that no one else was here? Melanie had said 'we'.  
Ziio's thoughts were put aside when she found a door tucked behind... she wasn't even going to try and figure out what that thing was for. The food led to a stairwell, and at the end, a light.  
Shouts began to fill the room, and she slammed the door shut.  
They were coming.  
She needed to escape.

***  
Jacob tripped a few times.  
He cursed and stumbled onto the sidewalk, out of the way of the cars. That park Desmond had mentioned was up ahead, he could see that much. A few of the trees still had their leaves, although the snow had started falling again.  
He continued up the sidewalk, glancing warily around him for any sign of those Abstergo soldiers. They couldn't stay in one place for longer than a day or two, it seemed, and he was getting rather irritated about it.  
Jacob made it to the park and walked through the trees, toward a small lake. A flash of white and red caught his attention and he looked toward the small frozen pond in the center. A bored Desmond leaned against the tree, watching Ezio and Arno argue.  
Jacob grinned and lowered his head, lifted his shoulder, then started sprinting forward, about to barrel into the two Assassins.  
Evie and Edward jumped him from behind, laughing under their breaths.  
Edward's knee was driven painfully into Jacob's back, and Evie had a hand clasped around Jacob's neck.  
"What the fuck are you two doing?" Jacob asked, his face pressed against the snow. "Get off me!"  
"Sorry, man," Edward pushed off him and started toward the arguing Assassins. "We... thought you were an Abstergo soldier."  
"Evie!" Jacob pushed himself up from the snow and brushed it away. "Why you?"  
His twin smirked. "Come on. They're waiting for us."

***  
"I'm telling you, we should check the trees!" Ezio exclaimed. "Those soldiers are everywhere!"  
"For the last time," Arno sighed. "There is no reason for them to be hiding in a tree."  
"But in that game, Call of Duty-"  
"Ezio..." Desmond laughed. "Call of Duty is one of the most fake franchises you'll find out there. That is not how Abstergo works."  
"Thank you." Arno said. He had to make his Italian friend understand there was no one in the trees. Why bother looking, anyway? It wasn't like the two Templars were hiding up there.  
"But-"  
"Look out!" Evie shouted. She and her brother were both loping toward them, and Arno caught a glimpse of blue-  
Edward pounced on Ezio from behind, and the two stumbled onto the pond. The frozen pond.  
"Oooh...." Ezio groaned. He pushed Edward off of him and started jogging around the pond, shaking his hands. His entire right half was soaked, and his right hand looked white from the cold. "It'scoldcoldcoldgetitoffgetitoff-"  
"Calm down." Arno stepped closer and tore away one of his long shirt sleeves, wrapping it around Ezio's right hand. His arm wasn't going to feel warm for a while, now, but it was alright. "That will only keep your hand safe from the cold. Don't get it wet."  
Ezio nodded and sat down on of the rocks, shooting Edward several shouts and swears in Italian.  
Behind him, Arno could see Altaïr sneakily approaching, ready to spring and jump Ezio from behind.  
"You're welcome." The Welshman responded, smirking.  
"You're both compete idiots." Jacob groaned.  
"And how do you think I feel? I'm the one babysitting you guys." Desmond said back, in the same tone.  
"We are not babies." Arno said hotly. "We're grown men and women."  
Altaïr wrapped both hands around Ezio's throat, then leapt back as the Assassin screamed and went... well, Assassin on him.  
"I would act like it." Desmond replied.  
"We're trying to, but then Edward fucks it up." Jacob snapped.  
"Oh, little British twat's done it now!"  
The two Assassins lunged at each other, ignoring the laughter of the others.

***  
"Connor!" Aveline's voice met his ears. Connor turned around and smiled. There she was, making her way toward him through the trees that surrounded the park.  
"Are you cold?" He asked worriedly, when she drew closer.  
"Not really." Aveline said softly, looking around. "I'm glad I found you. This city is so... so big."  
"It is." Connor agreed. "Like New York."  
"Hey." Aveline grabbed his arm and froze. "Do you see that?"  
"See what?"  
Connor followed her line of sight and caught a flash of white up ahead, a smudge of blue and smear of black.  
"Oh, great." Aveline muttered. "They're fighting again."  
"That's typical Edward and Jacob. At least we know where they are."  
"Which give us leave to do other things." Aveline said.  
"What other... things?" Connor asked tentatively. Ignore the out of control beating of your heart, Connor, he chided, it's just the cold.  
"We could get the drop on them from the trees. That'll clear the fighting right up."  
"Oh."  
"That's to name one." Aveline added, turning to him and smiling. "Care to give me another?"

***  
Shaun hated snow. He hated it as much as he hated the autocorrect on his computer. Stupid American English dictionary, thinking it could outwit him, the mighty Hastings. Well, he had news for that little....  
"Shaun!" Rebecca trotted toward him through the snow- it was started to get heavy, already up to their ankles- followed by a tired looking William.  
"You have no idea how much torture this is." He groaned.  
"Oh, relax." William snapped. "At least you didn't just run ten blocks with this woman looking for this fucking park."  
"The park is up there." Shaun pointed to the trees. "What, did you have to call Bishop for a GPS?"  
"Um..." Rebecca shrugged nervously. "Nah, what're you talking about-"  
"Three times." William sighed.  
"William! Anyway, my phone is dead, and William the Genius over here dropped his in the snow, so now it won't turn on. What about yours?"  
"I still have a working battery and screen." Shaun said. "Desmond texted me about five minutes ago. He found all of his ancestors and they're currently by the pond in the center of the park."  
"Wait, including Haytham and Shay?" William asked.  
"No."  
"Damn." Rebecca said, then took off down the snow covered street, ignoring the protest of the man behind her.  
"Wait!" Shaun shouted.  
"Go to a gym!"

***  
Haytham had scrambled back up the tree after resting there on the snowy ground for a while- just until Shay fell asleep, so he wouldn't have the satisfaction of claiming how Haytham had just made a mistake- and wound up a few branches higher than his fellow Templar.  
After an hour or so of sleep, he had been awakened to the sound of a panicked shout.  
"Shay?" He called. "What's wrong?"  
There was no response, save a loud creaking noise.  
Haytham looked down. Shay was tossing in his sleep, his features twisted in a grimace. Something wet shone on his cheeks. What was wrong with him?  
Haytham began to work against the tree limbs, climbing down so he was inches from the Templar.  
"Shay," He said, grabbing at his shoulder. Of he continued he'd fall out of the tree and signal they were there. "Shay, stop."  
The Templar's eyes flew open and he jerked away, misjudging his leverage on the tree.  
"No, wait, don't roll that way, you're going to-"  
With a shrill yelp Shay disappeared, and within seconds Haytham heard a loud thump from the snowy ground.  
Rather than do anything about it, Shay curled up and covered his face, his shoulders shaking.  
Haytham wracked his memory for whatever might have been wrong. Fever? No. Was he scared of heights? Definitely not.  
Lisbon.  
Oh, hell.  
Haytham, dropped down and put a hand on Shay's shoulder. "Lisbon." He whispered.  
"All those people.... and because of... because of him!"  
"Look around you. If those is really the future, Lisbon wouldn't even remember the earthquake."  
"But I will!"  
"Shay... it's fine." Haytham said slowly. Shay growled- a low, menacing sound at the back of his throat- and began to push himself up. "Where are you going? You're going to get us caught."  
"I'm going to find those Assassins and I'm going to kill them."  
Shay was going nowhere near his son with any weapon.  
Haytham, wrapped his arms around Shay and refused to loosen his trip, even when a fist struck his jaw.  
"They're all dead." Shay finally moaned into his shoulders, after nearly half an hour of angry outbursts.  
"It doesn't matter anymore." Haytham said firmly, and pushed Shay away from him. "Now stand up! Get back in that tree so we won't get caught!"  
The Templar heeded his intstructions and this time fell asleep on a branch far higher than Haytham's. To watch for the Assassins, he said.

***  
"Okay, William, your house sounds like the only safe place for the boys right now."  
"And girls, Rebecca." Evie pouted.  
"And girls."  
"What? I mean, sure, it's big, but...."  
"It's that or stay with John, and he's already a target for Abstergo."  
"But you said he works there..." Connor pointed out.  
"Yeah, but the guy's a total crackpot. Abstergo's kept an eye on him since the day he applied for a job." Rebecca responded.  
They had all regrouped at the pond, stepping around Edward and Jacob's ongoing wrestling match.  
"Maybe he enjoys working right under their noses." Evie suggested.  
"He's still kind of whacked." Desmond said.  
"My house it is." William nodded quickly.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; This is going to be so much fun :)  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; Lol I'excited for everyone to meet!  
> salanaland; Our group is getting a little big, so they'll be the last people Abstergo desperately tries to glean information from.

Anne was the first to wake up. Everything in this room was polished white and gleamed in the light of the miniature sun above them, and it was unnerving, to say the least. Mary slept beside her, wearing her standard male pirate clothes with her hair the same way it had always been. Anne checked her clothes and sighed. Good. They hadn't been wounded or... she shuddered. They hadn't been misused. Okay. Now what?  
"Mary." She reached over and pushed her friend's shoulder. "Mary, wake up."  
"What?" She rolled over and sat up, blinking. "How the 'ell did we get here?"  
"I don't know... are you armed? Anything?"  
"No. Wait." Mary reached down and pulled off line of her boots. A small knife flattered to the floor. "Always keep a spare." She picked it up, grinning.  
"Now what do you reckon that thing is?" Anne asked, pointing above their heads at the miniature sun. "See?"  
Mary squinted at it. "Don't know. It looks like some kind of sun..."  
A woman burst in, holding what looked like a pistol, only smaller, sleeker, made entirely of metal, and more... more dangerous. "Um, Mary and Anne, right?"  
She had pinkish colored hair, a bruise on her head, and looked like she'd just woken up.

***  
Oh, this could cost half her paycheck and her Knight position.  
In a last ditch effort, Melanie had Warped both Anne and Mary from their respective times zones, and brought them here. The late night shift was only a few watchmen, and they had helped her lug the two in after disarming them.  
And now to find out that Mary had a weapon...  
Fuck.  
She brandished the gun lazily; a trick from reviewing Ben Hornigold's memories. Show them you could snap at any moment.  
Anne seemed to shrink away from the gun, but Mary tightened her grip of the knife and set her jaw, staring at Melanie with a look of hatred.  
"We just need to ask you some questions-"  
"We?" Mary interrupted.  
"Yes, we, now shut up and listen."  
"No."  
"Excuse me?"  
Mary scoffed. "Don't point that thing at me. Now tell us where the others are."  
"Okay, fine, there's only me. But I've got this gun and an itchy trigger finger. Give me the knife."  
Mary stood and held it up above her head. She was taller than Melanie. God damn it.  
"I will shoot you." She threatened.  
Anne leapt forward throwing herself around Melanie's waist.  
This was, what?  
The third time she'd been tackled?  
"No, Mary!"  
She jumped forward and pressed the knife to Melanie's throat, working her fingers off the handle of the gun.  
Finally she slid it from Melanie's hand, took the keys that dangled from her waist, and stood. Anne stood beside her and crossed her arms.  
"Reversal of fortune." She said proudly.  
"Works every time." Mary piped up, then started for the gray door. "C'mon, Anne, leave her. We're getting out of here."

***  
Ziio burst into the full light of the moon.  
There were a few people roaming the streets in odd clothes (Brightly colored shirts, dark colored pants, or clothes that were far more revealing than she had ever seen.) but aside from that, there was no one to speak of that paid her any mind. She immediately knew she was standing out, in moccassins and pelts; there had to be some way to get out of these clothes and into something less conspicuous.  
She slowly started walking down the gray-stone-flat path, next to the black road down the center, between those tall gray buildings.  
Big monsters roared past, with miniatures suns fastened to the front and back. There were four black wheels made of something she couldn't place, and in them she could see people.  
But no horses.  
Puzzled, Ziio tucked both the keys and the little gun into one of the pockets sewn into the pelts and continued down the path. She needed newer clothes, for sure. But everything else was... amazing. Magnificent buildings, carriages that operated without horses. She wanted to know how and why they worked.  
She looked ahead of her and smiled. A tree. Something familiar. Slowly, another tree began to come into view. And another. And another.  
Ziio started running, sidestepping a man in odd black and white click thee and narrowly avoiding what appeared to be a lamppost.  
She reached the small patch of woods and started into one. The trees were safety. No one really possessed the patience to follow her except Haytham, once she was in one and moving from branch to branch.

***  
"Are you awake yet?" Shay reached down and grabbed Haytham's shoulder. "The sun is starting to come up."  
Haytham brushed him away, then sighed. "Well, had I not been dealing with a certain someone late last night...."  
Shay remembered the night before vividly, the events at Lisbon replaying through his mind over and over. It was terrifying, with no way to escape it. He began to climb down the tree branches until he reached solid, snow covered ground.  
"Come on, Grandmaster." He groaned. His throat was still too sore to shout; he had reminded himself of his illness last night. "We need to go."  
"I'm coming." Haytham, dropped down beside him, then brushed the snow from his knees. "There, I'm wide awake. What about you...."  
Haytham looked past him, trailing off.  
"Grandmaster....?"  
"Ziio." He said.  
"Diio? What?"  
"No. Ziio." Haytham, grabbed his shoulder and pointed, at someone moving through the trees.  
"I don't know who or what Diio is-" Shay began.  
"Ziio!" Haytham started jogging, then broke into a run.  
"At least wait for me!" Shay barked after him, and followed. Despite being slightly smaller than him, Haytham was fast. And- Shay thought, as he avoided a tree, then another nearly smacked him in the face- he had to have incredibly good periphery vision to be avoiding a total collision.  
The woman in the trees was definitely Native, and she wore pelts and moccassins. She stopped, and looked down, then recognition flickered in her brown eyes.  
She jumped down, and stood in front of an out-of-breath Haytham with her arms held out.  
"You..." Haytham caught his breath and straightened, holding his hands out and splaying his fingers. "You want... a hug...?"  
She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
Shay caught up to them, and flopped on the snow by their feet. "You do that...." He huffed. "While I regain some feeling in my legs."  
Ziio pulled away from Haytham and looked down. "Who is he?"  
"Shay Patrick Cormac." Shay held out a hand, and she reached down and squeezed it. "At your service."  
"How did you get here?" Ziio asked warily, turning back to Haytham. "I thought I was the only one."  
"Well, you're definitely not. Those people... I don't know how to explain this." Haytham shrugged. "They're called Abstergo, run by Templars. The way I understand it is that they want answers, and so they keep bringing us from our supposed time zones and... trying to ask questions."  
"Are there more than just you, and Shay?" She asked.  
"Well, there's our son, my father, Altaïr-"  
"Our son? He's here?" She demanded.  
Haytham immediately realized what had made him feel slightly put off on her appearance. She had died when Connor was five. She had technically been dead for fifteen years... he wanted to thank the Templars. They had brought Ziio back to him. To Connor.  
"Y-yes. Only, we don't know where he is." Haytham said.  
"Well, we can look around before we go assuming things." Shay said from the snow.  
Ziio nudged him with his foot. "The snow is going to melt in the sunlight. You're going to get wet."  
"What?" Shay stood and twisted, trying to see his back. "It will?"  
Haytham sighed. "Yes, Cormac, it will." Was it a good idea to tell Ziio of the fire?  
He wanted to. But he knew he couldn't. The way Connor made it sound, he had been the one to order it. It was Charles Lee, though.  
Haytham was going to wring his neck when he got back.  
"I need new clothes." Ziio pinched the navy blue fabric of Haytham's shirt between her fingers. "Where did you get these?"  
"We need money." Shay held up his hands. "But we haven't got any."  
"Yet. We found quite a lot in peoples' pockets." Haytham mused.  
Ziio frowned. "You're going to steal it."  
"We already have, but the others are currently the possessors of it... just tell us what you need. Shay and I will do the rest."  
"Just a shirt." Ziio gestured at them. "And pants. I don't like dresses."  
"I can see that." Shay said. Ziio boxed his arm.  
"We'll find you here?" Haytham asked.  
"Yes." Ziio smiled. "I will remain."  
Haytham smiled back, and Shay grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him toward the edges of the park. "Come on, lovebird."  
Well, if he was a bird, he was Jackdaw.

***  
"Arno." Ezio whined.  
"What's wrong?" Arno dropped back and peered at the fabric covering Ezio's right hand. "Is it blocking out the cold?"  
"No." The Italian tugged glumly at it. "My hand is still wet and it was warm for a while but now it's... it's almost frozen."  
"We're almost there. William's car is parked just outside the hotel. Abstergo's not looking for him, exactly-"  
"They will be soon." Desmon's father barked. "Remember that, Rebecca."  
The group of Assassins had spread out through the street, walking in pairs. Arno and Ezio stayed together, and Jacob and Evie walked side by side. Shaun and Rebeeca were in the lead, and behind them, Altaïr and Edward were having a heated argument about how to properly kill a Templar. They were going to have to lower their voices soon or they'd draw attention. The farthest behind, Connor and Aveline, walked at a leisurely pace, speaking about missions they had done and practicing their sign language.  
Desmond and William were rather close to Edward and Altaïr (To keep a fight from breaking out, as it seemed the two were close to blows.) and they were running each other through possible scenarios of Abstergo's finding them. Hacking, spending any money online, being seen by a police officer....  
"No, because if you do it point blank in the chest, you're going to be seen!" Edward raised his voice. "You have to do it from behind-"  
"Boys!" Desmond snapped. "Keep it down."  
"Will you tell him that killing a Templar in secret is only useful in high profile situations? What's a better way to get your point across than a Hidden Blade in broad daylight?"  
"'Hidden', Altaïr, a 'Hidden' Blade!" Edward replied.  
"Guys!" William stepped between them. "That's it. You're both under supervision."  
"Supervision? I don't need supervision." Altaïr growled, "I am a skillful Assassin."  
"A childish one." Desmond muttered under his breath.  
"What?"  
"Nothing."


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; From what I know the actual Assassins were called Hashashin and they were fond of daggers in broad daylight. Many didn't survive their first mission. Altaïr's reply could have gone either way, though.  
> Dragon_lord_loki1; Haytham was thirty or twenty nine when Connor was born, I think. He did age some, but he was also pulled from a time zone where Connor is around fifteen or sixteen. Connor was Warped when he was nine ten (I think I need to find a better word for it than Warped.)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Yep, they're together again! :)

"Mary... they're staring at us."  
Mary bared her teeth at a man who looked a little like Blackbeard, and the man actually looked terrified.  
"Wouldn't worry about it if ah was you." She said to Anne. "Ah'd just be glad we found a way out."  
"So now what? We're going to need money to get less...conspicuous clothes."  
"Money ain't a problem, Anne." Mary held up a wad of paper money, grinning. "'Member when those guards attacked us halfway up the stairs?"  
"You knocked all of them out, right? No need to kill."  
"Of course ah did... Well, they all had some amount of these on them."  
Anne snatched the money from her friend's hand. "It's a start. We just need to find a tailor's shop now."  
The two turned their hazes to the gray buildings of the city. The snow only provided a small break in color.  
"This will be difficult." Mary said slowly.  
"No, wait. Let's walk around for a little, we ought to find something." Anne grabbed her friend's arm and started down the street,ignoring the stunned looks.  
Within the next few hours they had searched everywhere, and still hadn't found a store.  
"Alright... I think we're lost." Anne muttered, looking up from the money. She had been attempting to count it (Attempting; as the money was something completely new, and those big beasts that roared by. Made of metal, they gave off a pungent smell. Once, a big monster rolled past Mary and apparently frightened her. As a result, Anne feared she wouldn't be able to get those... rather extreme curse words out of her head for a while.) and was actually failing.  
"No. Edward. Look!"  
"What? But he was drunk when he staggered off to the Jackdaw-"  
There he was, throwing snow at a man in black clothes. They were surrounded by other people, some talking, some laughing, some arguing.  
"Edward!" Anne raised her voice.  
He turned, his blue eyes wide.  
Then he was hit with a snowball square in the face.

***  
Edward brushed the snow off (Jacob was in for an entire shipload when he was done confimirng his hopes.) and loped forward. "Anne? James?" He lowered his voice as he drew near. "Or should I call you Mary?"  
"Mary'll do just fine. Who are those?" Mary jerked her chin at the people standing around by the car. Altaïr, William, and Shaun were missing, having gone back to the park to retrieve the backpack Shaun had forgotten.  
"I'll tell you later, it's unbelievable." Edward stood back and smiled, then frowned. "Wait. You were taken, too? From your.. time zones?"  
"Well, if that's what happened. We're being searched for, man, are those friends of yours Assassins?"  
Edward nodded enthustically. "Yes! If what they're saying is true, that's Ezio Auditore-"  
"The Mentor?" Mary asked. "No way in hell."  
"He's actually quite skilled when he's not pestering Arno." Edward defended. "That's Arno Dorian, that is Connor... um... I don't know his last name-" A lie, he didn't want Mary or Anne have an inkling that he actually had kids-"That's Aveline, Desmond, Rebeeca, Evie, and that bloke over there building the snowman is Jacob."  
A snowball hit Edward in the back. "You're the bloke!" Came Jacob's voice.  
Edward turned around and pounced on the British Assassin.  
"Um.... should we get involved? Edward, don't rip his face off!" Anne watched the scuffle in the snow with wide eyes. "Mary! Stop them!"  
"Go! Hit him between the legs! Sorry, what?" Mary asked suddenly.  
Anne groaned and stepped over Edward and Jacob, heading for Desmond and Rebeeca.  
The two were poring over a small black rectangle with a bright... thing that showed them different images, some moving. They were leaning against one of the blue monsters with the odd wheels, only this one wasn't moving.  
In front of them, Aveline and Connor were focused on building a deer, and beside them Evie was trying to rebuild Jacob's snowman, which had been kicked by Edward at some point during the fight. Farther away from them, almost against the wall of a building, Ezio (No day he was THE Mentor.) was attacking a snow fort Arno had built around him.  
"Wait!" The Frenchman ducked behind his fort. "It's not finished!"  
Ezio let his arm drop to his side and chuckled. "How close are you to being finished? I don't think I want to wait-"  
"Hah!"Arno sprang up and threw a big snowball at Ezio's face. The Italian stood there for a moment, not moving. Then he bent, scooped up a handful, and threw his in Arno's direction. He must have had snow in his eyes, because while it was in Arno's direction, Anne was in the way.  
Ezio's mouth dropped.  
Arno stood in his fort with a snowball in his hand, ready to throw. His eyes were wide and he had frozen in place waiting for Anne's reply.  
"Boy,"Anne began slowly. "You're lucky I haven't seen snow in so long." She gracefully marched to Arno's fort, dug up a snowball, then let fly at the Italian Assassin.  
Ezio shrieked as the snow his hit neck and dripped down his shirt.  
"You had that coming,"Arno said through laughter, right until Anne repeated the motion on him.

***  
"You're sure it was here?" The gray haired man asked.  
"Yes, I rember putting it down while we were going to the car."  
Ziio hovered in the branches above those three odd men. They weren't causing any harm; it wasn't even like they knew she was there.  
"Shaun. Over here." The one in the red shirt with white stripes on the arms crouched by the tree she was in, waving a hand. "Tracks."  
"Um. There's only two. Those aren't ours, Altaïr." The gray haired man said.  
"How do you know?" Altaïr snapped. "I have better expertise."  
"You take that back-"  
The one called Shaun grabbed the gray haired man's arm, pointing. Ziio followed his gaze.  
Haytham and Shay were coming through the woods. Haytham was counting a handful of green paper,while Shay walked with his head down, his hands in his pockets.  
"Shay and Haytham." The gray haired man whispered. Her started forward. "Hey!"  
"That's, um, that's a really bad idea, William-"  
Shay froze and grasped Haytham's elbow. The Grandmaster looked up and his lip curled in a sneer. They knew those men? Ziio decided to watch before making her presence known. Below, the one called Altaïr watched with tense shoulders, his brow furrowed.  
Shay caught sight of Altaïr, and his brown eyes grew dark with an emotion she couldn't place. Anger? No. The proper word was fury.  
He pushed past William, then shoved Shaun out of his way, stalking toward Altaïr.  
The other man rose to meet him, and from behind, Haytham, William, and Shaun watched the exchange nervously. William and Shaun had already forgotten about Haytham, it seemed.  
"You." Ziio heard Shay growl.  
"Me...?" Altaïr said. "What do you want, rogue?"  
Shay's arm shot out, and he looped it tightly around Altaïr's neck, dragging the Assassin closer. Altaïr twisted and beat his fists against Shay's arm, and even landed a blow on his mouth.  
Shay began to kneel, slowly bringing Altaïr with him. The Assassin was beginning to weaken already.  
A strangled shout broke from Shaun's mouth and he ran at Shay. William and Haytham followed soon after, all of them grabbed at Shay's arms and trying to pull them away. Shay sat in the snow now, his head lowered, refusing to let go of Altaïr's neck. Nothing the others did were making him release Altaïr.  
Ziio crept out onto a branch high over Shay's head. Haytham's head wasn't in the way. She was good to jump.  
She dropped down, landing on Shay's shoulders. Startled, he dropped Altaïr onto his lap and reached back, hissing in anger.  
Haytham darted in and grabbed Altaïr's arm, pulling the barely conscious Assassin away from him. William and Shaun both leapt onto Shay, pinning him down against the snow.  
"Breathe. You're fine." Haytham murmuered. Now that the other two had Shay under control, Ziio stood and crouched beside Haytham.  
"Why did he do that?" She asked.  
"I don't know." Altaïr gasped. "But I want to kill him for it."  
"Lisbon." Haytham said. "He wanted revenge. He believes your ideals are twisted."  
"What?" Altaïr pushed himself up and backed away from Haytham.  
"Are they twisted?" Ziio asked.  
Haytham shrugged.  
"Well?"  
"I don't know." Was all he said.  
Altaïr went and helped Shaun and William tie Shay's hands behind his back, then moved closer to Haytham.  
"Shaun says this was in the backpack for infiltration missions at Abstergo. See? You're so important we're using it on you, instead!" William said sarcastically, slipping another rope around Haytham's wrsits. The Templar let him, keeping his gaze down.  
"Who are you?" Shaun asked, sidling closer to Ziio.  
"My name is Ziio. I was taken from my... time zone."  
"Oh, so you're... wait." Shaun pushed his glasses up his nose and pointed to Haytham, then to Ziio, the back. "Oh... Oh."  
"Why did you tie them up?" She asked, as William pulled Shay up by his elbow. Altaïr dragged Haytham to his feet and waited while Shaun tapped the screen of the tiny black thing he had.  
"We had to." William said. "Shay just tried to kill Altaïr, and on top of that, they both escaped. Just so the both of you know." He turned to Haytham and Shay. "You are not being released from those ropes until we send you back to your time zone."  
Shay didn't respond, and Haytham nodded slowly.  
"I'm calling Desmond. Does the van even have enough room for all of them?"  
"Yes." Altaïr said. "I don't mind sitting on Shay's face."  
Shay swore at him.  
"Ziio." Haytham nodded to her. "You're coming with us?"  
He had a way of assuming things. Well... he was right this time."  
"Yes."


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; If I have this right, Altaïr is the one who made the Creed the way Shay knows it as. And he knows it as cruel and cold. Not that the Templars are any better. Shay wouldn't have gone after Connor only because by now he knows Connor is Haytham's son and nobody messes with the Grandmaster. Other than that, I can understand anger toward Connor. Maybe even Aveline as well.  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Yep, Mary and Anne blend perfectly into the group!  
> just a fan; I am definitely shipping them ;)

The group lounging near the car grew silent as the others drew near.  
Connor and Aveline stopped playing in the snow (Aveline was averse to the word 'play', she insisted they were coordinating their location in the city.).  
Edward stood up from where he had been sitting on Jacob.  
Mary stopped rooting Edward on and clasped her hands behind her back.  
Anne froze halfway through shoving a handful of snow down Ezio's pants.  
Ezio's cold induced shout caught in his throat.  
Arno dropped the snow he was about to surprise Evie with.  
Evie was still bent over Jacob's snowman, trying to rebuild it.  
Desmond looked up, peered in the car window, then back at the approaching group, wondering if there was enough room now.  
Rebecca blew air out of the side of her mouth, then looked at Connor, waiting for his reaction.  
It took both Altaïr and William to push Shay ahead of them (Shay was bigger than them and apparently didn't want to go to the car, as he kept planting his feet and refusing to move until Altaïr kicked his ankles and told him to move.).  
Shaun was able to simply just be next to Haytham, as Ziio and Haytham were having a conversation about the day Haytham had freed her from the fort.  
Haytham and Ziio were allowed to stop and stand next to Desmond and Rebeeca, but Altaïr and William marched Shay toward the back of the car and shoved him into it without a second thought.  
"What happened? Why did you-" Desmond was cut off when Altaïr lifted his head and showed him his neck. "Did he go Templar on you?"  
The Assassins slowly began to resume their previous antic, all save Connor. He stood in the snow and stared at Ziio, his mouth slack.  
"Go talk to her." Aveline out a hand on his shoulder and pushed.  
Ziio caught sight of his staring and held out her hands. "What do you want?"  
Connor stepped forward and embraced her. He was bigger than her, so her head fit between his neck and shoulder.  
"I said," Ziio pushed him away. "What do you want? Who are you?"  
"It's me... it's Ratonhnhaké:ton. You don't remember?"  
Ziio turned to Haytham. "You said our son was here."  
"You're looking at him, Ziio."  
"I am?" Ziio scanned her supposed son's face. He was at least part Native, yes. His eyes were brown, her shade of brown. No dark hunger blossomed in them, she was certain. Aside from that, he looked like Haytham, like the blonde haired man who was currently in the process of being snowballed by two others, a man and a woman dressed as a man. "I am. Ratonhnhaké:ton."  
"Yes." He smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, it's me!" He switched to Mohawk and began to tell her how they had got there.  
As Connor spoke, he caught Haytham's eye. Haytham was standing with his hands behind his back, tied with rope. He slowly shook his head. No. Haytham did not dictate what he did. Haytham would not stop him from telling her of the fire. He was the one who caused it!  
"Mother." Connor said,ducking as a snowball shot over his head.  
"Sorry!" Ezio called.  
"Mother, there is something I have to tell you."  
"No, Connor!" Haytham snapped. "You can't."  
"Make me!" Connor snarled. He turned back to Ziio.  
Ziio looked at Haytham with an eyebrow raised. "Me. Ziio. I. Come. In. Peace. You have learned."  
"Yes, I have, and what he's going to say-"  
Connor punched him.  
Haytham stumbled back against the car, nearly tripping over Desmond's feet.  
"What the hell are you three talking about?" Shaun asked. "All I hear is frantic Mohawk."  
Shay's fist beat against the window from the inside. "Let me out! It's dark in here! Someone? I can see your bloody shadows! Don't act like you're-"  
Rebecca threw her jacket over the car window and shouted for him to shut up.  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Desmond stopped Connor's fist as it came down to Haytham again. "What's wrong?"  
"He doesn't want me to tell her about the fire! About Charles Lee!" Connor raised his voice.  
Ziio gently put a hand on his back. "Ratonhnhaké:ton? What fire?"  
"Charles Lee, Mother! Charles Lee!" He growled. "Remember that name. When they send you back to your time... seek him out. Seek him out and kill him."  
He hugged her and stepped away from Haytham, still leaning against the car with a stunned look in his eyes. William and Desmond headed out of their way, and Shaun grabbed Haytham and went to the back of the car, pulling open the door.  
"Watch," He said, after allowing Haytham to climb inside."We'll hear them arguing in a minute."

***  
Edward didn't know what the other three had been saying in Mohawk, but apparently they had come to blows. He wasn't allowed to think long on the matter, though, because Jacob had kicked him in the stomach and he was out for revenge. From her position on top of a pile of snow, Mary shanted them on, occasionally shouting out about what a wuss Jacob was.  
"Come on! Kick him where it hurts! See, look, Edward, the neck, the bloody neck!"  
"I'm trying!" Edward grunted, shoving Jacob into the snowman Evie was rebuilding.  
"Hey! Boys! I'm trying to rebuild that snowman for you, Jacob!" She chucked a handful of snow at them.

***  
"Ezio! I am going to whip your handsome little Italian butt!" Anne yelped, as the Assassin tossed a snowball at her. It splat against her face and rolled down her neck, slipping down her shirt.  
Altaïr had started helping Arno build his fort, although the occasional argument would break out on where to put that snow so it wouldn't collapse. All arguments ended when Ezio stumbled through the fort, with Anne hot on his heels.  
"Ezio!" Arno howled. Altaïr just dove after the Italian. Ezio stumbled away, racing around the car. Anne, Arno, and Altaïr chased him around with handfuls of snow, prepared to shove them down his pants.

***  
Aveline watched William, Desmond, Shaun, and Rebecca speak in low voices. She could hear them from where she sat in the snow. They were talking about what to do once they got to William's house. What to do with Shay and Haytham. The look on Connor's face when he hugged his mother was one she'd never seen before. Joy? Hope?  
Love.  
It was love.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Everyone I'll have their revenge *Evil grin*  
> PoisonHw; I might actually add that in, you do have a point there because Connor worked on relating the Colonial Brotherhood. And both Connor and Haytham deserve to see Ziio again. (Like the city of Tucson, she's too tough to die.)  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; I have an idea for Edward and Jacob, although it may not work so I'm not sure to disclose it yet. ;)
> 
> I honestly don't know what William's house looks like, but I feel like it would be big, fancy, and mostly modernized. Do we learn what his house looks like?

"Okay." Rebeeca stepped into the snowball fight going on with her hands held up. Eventually all the Assassins had all been hit with snowballs, most on accident, and the fight going on was rather large. It was Ezio, Jacob, Arno, and Evie against Mary, Ziio, Connor, Aveline, and Edward. Arno's smashed fort was used as snowball fodder, and Desmond, Shaun, and William were shields. Rebeeca had threatened to cram snow down someone's mouth if it hit her or her phone, so she had been left alone.  
Shaun and Desmond, however...  
"Ridiculous. Absolutely rediculous." He wiped snow from his glasses. "You're all acting like children."  
"Well." Ezio giggled as Edward lunged for him and sidestepped, so the captain launched himself into the remains of Arno's fort.  
"My fort!" Arno groaned.  
"We're trying to have something to do." Aveline finished for him.  
"Yes, but Ziio, how did you get the involved?" Desmond laughed and brushed snow from his shoulder.  
"Snow can be fun." She smiled and put a hand on Connor's shoulder. He was definitely much happier now that when was here, and less apt to go after Jacob. Who had inevitably been the main target for most of the enemy team.  
"Okay. Guys, we're leaving. Taking the car to William's house." Rebeeca tried again.  
"The car?" Ziio asked, looking confused.  
"This old hunk of junk." William banged his fist against the wheel, prompting a surprised yelp from Shay inside.  
"That thing? But there are no-no horses." Ziio muttered. Connor squeezed her elbow and smiled reassuringly.  
"It's kind of fun, Mother." He said in Mohawk.  
"I am not getting in that thing next to Ezio. Or Haytham. I'll sit next to Shay, though." Altaïr grinned.  
"What? Why?" Shaun frowned. "I thought... oh, hell, no. You are not sitting on his face or starting a fight."  
Altaïr waved his hand and pulled open the car door. "I won't."  
Edward threw a handful of snow at Jacob before leaping into the back of the car, and was soon followed by a tentative Ziio and Connor.  
One by one, the Assassins clambered into the car, a process filled with a few curses and more than one elbow jostling.  
In the end, Shay need up squashed against the seat with Altaïr right beside him. Haytham sat next to his father across from Shay, and Connor was beside him, with Ziio holding onto his arm. Mary slid in beside Ziio, and Evie closed the door, the jumped in beside her. Arno climbed in next to Altaïr, and Ezio and Anne followed his lead.  
William closed the door behind them and sat at the wheel, gesturing to Rebecca to address the cramped Assassins and Templars.  
"Here's how it's going to work. It's late, so when we get there, find somewhere to sleep and make it yours."  
Edward, Mary, Ezio, and Jacob both contained laughter, although they weren't very good at it.  
"Something funny?" Desmond asked from in front.  
"Apparently. Alright, and Ezio, if you're gonna be sick then tell us."  
"Alright." The Assassin said warily. Anne jostled his shoulder.  
"Aim for the Templars."  
Shay and Haytham broke out in protest as the car lurched forward.  
Ziio and Anne both gasped, and clung to the nearest object (Connor's arm and Ezio's face.).  
Edward whistled and casually leaned back. Haytham shifted against the car door and focused himself on the ropes holding his wrists. Ezio gripped his stomach and groaned, and both Arno and Anne put hands on his shoulders and whispered jokes and small talk to make him feel better. Aveline raised an eyebrow and swung her head around the inside of the car. Mary's eyes widened and she smiled, sitting up.  
"What makes this thing work? Is it the Precursor tools?"  
"I don't think so." Evie looked around. "It reminds me of a train."  
"I think it's a miniature version of one." Jacob said.  
Shay shrugged. "What's a train?"  
"No one told you to talk." Altaïr snapped.  
"And no one told you to live." Shay mused.  
"You say something like that again and I'll-" Altaïr lunged forward and scratched at Shay's scar, smirking. The Templars sneezed and moaned in frustration.  
"So I have to deal with this the whole way? How long is this going to take?" He called at Rebeeca.  
"About ten minutes."  
"Fuck." Ezio murmured in Italian.  
"You'll be alright." Anne said softly.  
"If he throws up, I'm pushing you in front of him." Jacob nudged Evie's shoulder.  
"You do that and I'll inform everyone of the time you ate borax." She shot back.  
Jacob paled. "What? But that was a mistake, I didn't know it was-"  
"You what?" Shaun shouted back. "You ate borax?"  
"What's borax?" Haytham asked.  
"Why would you even... why?" William questioned him. The car stopped, then started forward again.  
"Someone tell me what borax is." Haytham stated simply.  
"Borax is a cleaning solution. For laundry." Evie chuckled.  
"Come on." Jacob groaned.  
"Mr. Fyre here was throwing up for almost a week. It was so funny...."  
Ezio leaned forward and squeezed his eyes shut. "Ezio...." Arno began worriedly.  
"No, no, I'm fine." Ezio replied. In truth, he was hoping Anne would stop rubbing his back and move her hand farther down at the motion... He would never admit that to either of them.  
"You better be fine." Edward snapped.  
"Edward." Aveline chided. "Leave him alone."  
"Yes." Connor put his hand over his mother's fingers. "He probably won't be sick."  
"Hey, Ezio." Rebecca's voice came from the front if the car.  
"What?" Can the weak reply.  
"We're here."  
"Sweet mother of-" Shay started, then Altaïr scratched his scar.

***  
William's house was big, and in a larger neighborhood than Shaun's. It was of very modern design and everything was made of glass or stainless steel, with the tile floor being a silver color. There was an abundance of windows, two floors and six bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen with a big fridge, and a glass door (Nobody was very willing to talk to Jacob about that.).  
The Assassins staggered in and froze where they stood, eyes wide. Well, except for Ezio and Arno. Arno remembered that he still had to get payback on Ezio and started chasing him up the stairs. Ezio squealed and darted off, pushing past an irritated Altaïr. Shaun, William, and Desmond led the Templars in, then retightened the ropes on their wrists. Shay was pushed into the couch and Haytham was allowed to stand and even look around.  
Edward immediately raced to the nearest room, slamming the door in Jacob's face.  
"Hey!" Jacob pounded the door with his fist. "Open up! I claimed it first!"  
"Find another." Edward shouted.  
"I want that one!"  
Jacob finally cursed and stalked off, no doubt to search for another room.  
Anne and Mary discovered the wonders of the fridge, and searched through it, their eyes wide. Mary found a beer bottle, and was about to open it when William jumped in and swiped it from her.  
"No alcohol." He declared.  
"Alcohol?" Edward poked his head out of his room. "I heard alcohol."  
"No beer, father." Haytham called up the stairs.  
"I am not your father." Edward loped down the stairs and stood in front if Haytham, his lip curled. "Stop calling me that."  
"Fine."  
Everyone in the room was tense and quiet, save Aveline, who watched the rotating ceiling fan with a fascinated air about her.  
Edward nodded and turned to leave. "Father."  
"I. Am. Not. Your. Father."  
Haytham's eyebrow lifted. Shay knew that look. It meant he was about to surprise someone. "Oh? Edward Kenway used to be a privateer in the West Indies. He originally married Caroline Scott, and tried to get her to agree to privateering."  
"How long."  
"Two years."  
"Sure."  
"Then let me tell you something only you would know." Haytham was eye to eye with Edward. "You always have a rum flip for every three cups of rum. Don't ask me why; that's for you to explain to yourself."  
"Aye." Mary peered around the wall and nodded. "I've noticed that."  
"Same." Anne called.  
"Alright," Shaun clasped his hands. "Now that we've all assigned who as who, we need to focus on sleeping areas, Shay, you sleep where you are right now. And don't even think about moving because William's bringing in a little present to keep you in place."  
"What?"  
"Edward, Connor and Haytham all will be sleeping in the room Edward has claimed. We're no leaving you alone with Shay, Haytham. Sorry." Shaun said.  
"I am not leaving my mother." Connor growled.  
"It's alright, Ratonhnhaké:ton." Ziio hugged him. "We'll be fine."  
"Ziio, Evie, Anne, and Aveline will all share a room, because, well, you're gals." Rebecca smiled.  
"I can sleep with boys." Evie pouted.  
"I can, too. What's this? It says Pepsi." Mary's voice came from the kitchen. Edward snickered,  
"Speaking of which." William swiped the can of side from Mary's hand and entered the living room, proudly plopping it on one end of the couch. Shay hissed and cowered on the other end, glaring at the can. "I trust you won't be getting up any time soon. We can out another one on the floor, too, if you want."  
"No, no!" Shay yelped. "One is quite enough!"  
"You're afraid of that little thing?" Aveline asked. She made her way to the couch and picked it up. Shay made a noise that might have been a squeak and pressed himself against the couch. "But it's so... tiny. And cold. Why is it cold? Was it outside?"  
"Nah." Desmond grinned. "It was in the fridge."  
"The what?"  
"The fridge." Altaïr said. "Go ask Mary to show you."  
"Come on, Aveline." Mary's voice wafted from the kitchen.  
"It's an odd gadget." Anne shouted.  
"Please! Put. The. Pepsi. Down." Shay panted.  
"Stop crying, Cormac." Haytham looked back at him. "It won't kill you."  
Connor's face darkened. "What did you say?"  
"Stop crying, Cormac-"  
"Cormac." Connor looked at Shay. "Your middle name. Now."  
"I'm not telling you."  
"Well, when I open that Pepsi-"  
"Patrick, alright?" Shay snapped.  
Edward laughed. "Three first names?"  
Even Altaïr chuckled.  
"You. You were the one who decimated the Colonial Assassins. And my father."  
Haytham scowled. "Connor-"  
The Native shrugged him off and stood over Shay. "The Hunter."  
"Of Assassins." Shay finished. Connor was about to reply when he as shoved aside by Ezio, who had raced through the entire house, being chased by Arno.  
"Come back here! I'm still going to shove that snow down your-"  
"Hey, hey, whoa-" Desmond grabbed Ezio, and Ziio barely caught Arno. "Wait, Shaun still has to assign your rooms."  
"Yes, Um..." Shaun thought for a moment. "Arno, Ezio, and Mary, they get another room. Go on. Find them." He gestured up the stairs.  
They all began to go up, save Connor and Shay, who glared at each other from their positions. The can of Pepsi had been placed back on the couch.  
"Are you two going to fight?" Mary looked around the corner. "I have to see this."  
"We're not going to fight." Connor said. "I'm going to open that Pepsi."  
"What?!"  


***  
The night ended with them all falling asleep by 4 AM.  
William slept in his own bed with the door locked to prevent any invaders (Assassins and Templars) from entering his room.  
Connor fell asleep on the couch by Shay's bare feet, holding the Pepsi across his chest.  
Shay drifted off while he was trying to find a comfortable position where he could safely face the Pepsi if Connor tried anything.  
Edward fell asleep with on his bed, facedown where he had flopped after tying Haytham to the bedpost.  
Haytham ended up sleeping with his back to the bed, peering up at Edward's shoes.  
Evie curled up on her bed, and when Jacob had tried to push her off, she kicked him.  
Jacob slept in the floor by the bed, not daring to get up again.  
Aveline found her own little room and fell onto the bed, too tired to care much if the anyone crashed into her room.  
Mary and Anne had been examining the bathroom and kitchen, and Mary fell asleep in the bathtub with an arm draped over the edge, like Edward had, and Anne slept in a kitchen chair after trying to figure out how the milk wasn't spoiling.  
Ziio had made her way into Haytham and Edward's room and brought a chair over near Haytham, content to sleep next to him for one last time.  
Altaïr found an easy chair across from the couch Connor and Shay now dominated, and slept with his feet pulled up onto it.  
Arno had chased Ezio into another big room and the two had wrestled until Ezio fell asleep, and Arno lay sprawled over Ezio's stomach, one of his hands thrown over the Italian's face.  
Desmond had found a room next to his father's and collapsed on the bed, ignoring Shaun's shouts of protest of how he had found it first.  
Shaun ended up in a chair in the hallway, sitting with his chin to his chest and a book in his lap.  
Rebecca slept with her head in her arms, having fallen asleep while watching a fail video about racecars.  
Overall, it had been a long day.


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Jacob and his trusty Winded shall be reunited, to facedown the glass door together ;)  
> salanaland; You caught on quickly :D  
> PoisonHw; Ezio and Anne both kind of mix well. Rambunctious, smart, and brave. Needless to say, Ezio and Arno have grown pretty tight.

It was morning when Ezio woke.  
He gently pushed Arno off his belly and crept out of the room, still unused to the amount of glass and steel around the house.... he was still unsued to the house, as a matter of fact.  
He made his way from room to room, trying to find the person he had in mind. That one was locked, that one contained Desmond- why was Shaun sleeping in the hallway?- and there was Rebecca. Jacob and Evie, Edward and Haytham... Ziio? He blinked and closed the door. When had she found a chair? And she was right next to that Templar. He peered into the living room as he walked. Altaïr was on that big comfy looking chair across from the couch. Connor slept with that tiny Pepsi close by in his grasp, and Shay was sound asleep, curled at the opposite end of the couch. He did not like that little can.  
Ezio trotted into the bathroom. No one there but Mary. She was pretty, sure, but Anne was his primary objective.  
He found her asleep in the kitchen and nudged her shoulder, grinning. Up until then he had no idea what he was going to do when he found her,but now he wanted to take that Pepsi and see what it did, just to unleash its horrid power on the Irish Templar and Native Assassin.  
"Hm? Ezio? What time is it?"Anne stood and stretched.  
"Six, seven. I want to do something."  
She smiled. "What do you want to do?"  
"Well... remember that Pepsi?"  
"Yes." She began warily. "Shay thought it was evil. Mary thought it was rum."  
"My guess is it's evil. I want to surprise the two on the couch... would you help me?"  
"Lad, you're lucky I'm not one to deny a good laugh." Anne chuckled and padded into the next room. "How do we find out what it does?"  
"Maybe there are more-"  
"What are you two doing?" Jacob appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes and yawning. "It's too early for making out."  
"Wha- we weren't- we were just-" Ezio stuttered.  
"Oh, please, you can stuff it." Jacob started down he stairs, his bare feet barely making a sound. "You both clearly have a thing for each other. Now what's this you're doing?"  
"Um..." Anne and Ezio both looked away to cover the redness in their cheeks and sighed. "We were just going to pull a prank." Ezio said.  
Jacob lit up. "Really? On who? Edward?"  
"No." Anne pointed at the two sleeping on the couch. "But first we need to know what those things do."  
"We'll probably find some in the fridge thing." Jacob waved a hand and pulled open the kitchen door, one eyebrow raised. "See- whoa. Who's hungry? I see steak!"  
"We're here for a Pepsi. Remember!" Ezio ducked under his arm and pulled a cold can from the fridge, then nearly slammed it shut on Jacob's fingers.  
The twin yelped and smacked him upside the back of the head. "Watch where you slam that thing."  
"Watch who you piss off, bastardo." Ezio replied.  
"Boys, if I have to dunk each of you in the pool outside, I will."  
"There's a pool? Oh, Altaïr's gonna love this-"  
"Jacob, 'stuff it'. Do you know how to open this thing?"  
"No." Jacob pried it from Ezio's hand and shook it, then tipped it upside down, then eyed the bottom of it. "I don't."  
Anne swiped it from him and smiled. "Here, let me see. I think you're supposed to-"  
The thing explore, dousing the three of them in sticky brown stuff that kept fizzing.  
Jacob yowled and dove for the outside. His head struck glass and he stumbled back, still dazed. "God damn this thing! If I had my Rooks we would-"  
"Forget the Rooks!" Ezio threw the can against the kitchen wall. "Run! It won't stop fizzing!"  
Anne grabbed his shirt and jumped for the living room, stopped by striking her head against someone's collarbone.  
Shay pushed her off and rubbed his eyes. He still had the ropes around his wrists. "I heard shouting, what are you two-"  
"Pepsi!" Jacob shouted.  
Shay's eyes widened and he grasped both Anne and Ezio with both of his tied together hands, tossing them into the next room and jumping after them.  
The four were silent for a while, then they began to work up the courage to look back in the kitchen.  
"What do you see?" Shay asked nervously as Ezio leaned over the corner.  
"Um..." The Italian squinted and scanned the kitchen. "Nothing but soda, it's everywhere."  
"Oh, hell." Jacob's voice came from the elaborate dining room. "We're fucked. Look at this mess-"  
Connor stirred, and slowly stood up, stretching. He still held the soda can.  
"Not good." Anne said. "He still has the-"  
"I'm out of here!" Shay declared. He pushed Ezio off his lap and loped up the stairs, pushing past a half awake Edward.  
Edward watched the Templar vanish into some other part of the house, then peered over the top of the stairs.  
"Um.. what did you do, Anne?" He whispered.  
"Don't tell me Edward's awake." Jacob's voice echoed from the dining room. "Damn it."  
Anne shushed him and nudged Ezio's'shoulder. "Will you tell him?"  
"Uh..sure. Well..." Ezio rubbed the back of his sticky neck and shrugged. "We... um..."  
"Don't tell me." Connor stared at his Pepsi with a look of apprehension. "You shook one, didn't you?"  
"Well, that was Jacob's fault-"  
"Hey! Hey! You asked if I knew how to open it!"  
Edward laughed. "And did, you Jacob? Was it good for you?"  
Jacob slipped last the kitchen and jumped onto the couch, swinging his head from side to side. "I'd rather eat borax than do that again."  
"Borax?" Altaïr yawned and shot him a look. "What's borax? What happened? Why are you all sticky?"  
Ezio groaned. "I'm not explaining this."  
"Should ah be worried for my health?" Mary's voice drifted from the kitchen. "Or can ah step around it?"  
Edward took the stairs two at a time and peered around the kitchen corner. Mary stood with her hands on her hips in the soda, frowning.  
"You'll be fine. Why are you standing there?" He asked.  
"Nothing to be afraid of, Shay!" Anne called. "You can come down now!"  
"Not while I have this Pepsi!" Connor shouted up.  
"You know what? I-I think I'll stay up here where it's safe!" Came the response.  
Edward looked back at Mary. "Now that they're done shouting, what were you looking for?"  
"Ah'm hungry and don't feel like waiting." She opened the fridge and clicked her tongue, gazing at its contents.  
"Maybe William left something to drink in there." Edward said, coming up beside her. He avoided the soda puddles while Ezio, Anne, Connor, Jacob, and Altaïr looked on with wide eyes.  
"You-you're braving it?" Anne asked. "Ah, well, someone has to clean up this mess." She stood and crept over.  
Ezio followed. "I'm hungry, too." He mumbled.  
Jacob remained rooted in the couch. "No way. I am not stepping foot in that bloody kitchen."  
Connor and Altaïr turned to him with their eyebrows and the corners of their mouths raised.  
Jacob began to panic. "Oh, hell, no. You are not making me move."  
"Well, this would make a good prank. You or Shay..... hmm...." Altaïr tapped his chin. "Who shall we do, Connor?"  
"How about both?"  
"That sounds like a good plan."

***  
Haytham lifted his head and shifted, trying to get more comfortable with his back to the bed-  
What was Ziio doing here?  
He nudged her foot with his knee and frowned. "Good... morning....?"  
Ziio stirred and nodded, yawning. "Good morning." She muttered in Mohawk, before turning over on the chair and going back to sleep.  
Haytham looked around the room. Edward wasn't here. But downstairs, he could hear muffled fires from Jacob, the occasional giggle from Ezio, and the random bark of Connor telling someone to hold still. Upstairs, he could hear Evie, Aveline, Arno, and Shay arguing about the dangers of soda. The modern day Assassins must have still been sleeping.  
He gazed for a while at Ziio while she slept. Just like he left her. Just like she left him. He hadn't known she was in the room as he drifted off; she must have come in, willingly, he hoped, after he fell asleep. He didn't hear anything, for certain. She was a quiet woman.  
He fell asleep again as he began remembering the process of meeting her.

***  
"Just because Connor threatened you with a Pepsi does not mean you come barging up those stairs." Arno raised an eyebrow.  
"It's evil! I'm telling you!" Shay threw up his hands. "Go look downstairs! There's a huge puddle of- of sugary hell!"  
"Alright, you use the words 'sugary' and 'hell' in the same sentence again and I'll shove a soda can up your-"  
"Evie!" Aveline cuffed her arm.  
"What? I'm being honest." The twin grumbled, rubbing her arm. "And it's not like he can do anything about it. He's been tied up the last night."  
"We're not untying you. Or Haytham." Arno said, gesturing to the rope that bound Shay's hands. "Understand?"  
"I don't nessascarily care about that right now-" Shay paled as Altaïr's voice came up the stairs.  
"Shamrock, come here! We have a gift for you!"  
"Hide me!" He cried, throwing himself behind the bed.  
Arno, Evie and Aveline broke out laughing, but sobered up when Altaïr and Connor's footsteps drew near.  
"Is... um... a tall Templar with a scar and red shirt in here?"  
"No." Arno squeaked.  
"Onto the next room, then." Connor said from behind Altaïr.  
"Run for your lives!" Jacob shouted up the stairs. "They armed Altaïr with Pepsi!!"


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dan; Right to the chase ;)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Oh, they will. They will....  
> PoisonHw; Mary's always the chill one. Everyone else is completely freaked out xD  
> Dragon_lord_loki1; Lots of things can happen when you seclude fourteen Assassins and Templars in a large house. Hide the electronics!

Shaun had fallen asleep to utter silence. Just the way he liked it.  
But he woke up to what he considered to be total chaos.  
All sorts of shouts and laughter echoed from downstairs, and he could hear Aveline, Evie, and Arno laughing at someone.... Shay's panicked voice was loud enough to jolt him awake, and coupled with it were Connor and Altaïr's chuckles and taunts. No Haytham and Ziio. Those two were a quiet pair, when they wanted to be.  
"Hey! Boys! And girls! What are you doing in there?" He shouted, pushing off the chair. He shoved open the door and stood in the doorframe, rather surprised by what he saw.  
On the floor behind the bed, Connor held a terrified Shay down while Altaïr crouched above him, shaking a Pepsi can with an arrogant smirk. Arno, Aveline, and Evie were all on the other side, sides shaking from laughter.  
"Has the Templar had enough yet? Or shall I open it?"  
"No! No!" Shay swatted at it, but Connor pushed his hands down.  
"I'll take that as a yes-"  
"Altaïr? Connor? You two are probably the greatest Assassins that ever lived, what the hell are you doing to him?"  
"Objection!" Evie barked.  
"Well, he tried to kill me." Altaïr said calmly.  
"For Lisbon! I regret nothing!" Shay spat.  
"There, valid reason to at least make him piss his pants." Arno looked over the edge of the bed. "For the record, Shay, when they called you a Templar bag of shite, you should have kept your mouth shut."  
"How can I when it was so insulting?!" Shay demanded. "Now, please, Altaïr..."  
"Just give me the can, and get off him, Connor. His wrists are tied together, what's he going to do?" Shaun swiped the can from Altaïr's hands and stepped back.  
Connor shoved off him, adjusted his shirt, and strode out of the room. Altaïr chuckled and sat on the foot of the bed, hands up.  
"That's true. There's no point."  
"Glad you can see that." Shay said gruffly, getting to his feet.  
"Says the Templar who turned his back on the Creed." Aveline snapped.  
"For a good reason!"

***  
Desmond heard laughter and shouts downstairs.  
Not good.  
His ancestors had woken up before him.  
He kicked off the covers and practically flew downstairs. No mess in the living room. How about the-  
He really shout have warned his dad to hide the Pepsi.  
The brown liquid was spattered against the wall and floor, and at the fridge stood Mary, a contemplative look about her. Edward and Jacob wrestled on the tile, and Ezio crouched near Anne, who was looking through the lower cabinets in the fridge, which contained fruit.  
"Guys...." Desmond began hesitantly.  
All eyes turned to him.  
And everyone scattered.  
"Oh, soda's not that hard to clean up, you can quit hiding. It's not like my dad's awake yet-"  
"What the hell is this mess?!"  
Shit. His father must have been standing behind him when his ancestors ran.  
"Um, don't worry...."  
"Which of you guys did it? Or girls? Anne? Edward? Ezio?"  
The Italian peeked up from under the kitchen table. "I'm... um... sorry..."  
William sighed and pushed the fridge closed- Mary had left it open when she raced for cover. "You know what? It's fine. We'll just clean it up and hope another mess doesn't happen."  
"Good thinking." Jacob stepped from around the corner. "Windex?"  
"That's not used on floors and walls. Speaking of which, we still have to arm you with a bottle of the stuff." Desmond peered under the sink and removed a blue bottle. "Take it." He tossed it at Jacob.  
It bounced off the wall and landed by his foot. "Nice throw."  
"I'm working on it."  
"Hey, what's that?" Ezio swiped the bottle up before Jacob could reach it, and shook it vigorously, squeezing the trigger of the spray nozzle.  
"No, Ezio, DON'T-"  
The Windex sprayed a light blue liquid over Ezio's clothes, and doused his neck, but his face remained unharmed.  
He threw the bottle away and jumped back, stumbling right into Anne's arms.  
"This isn't something I do every day... God, you're heavy." Anne set him down- The Assassin kept clinging to her arm- and picked up the Windex bottle, frowning. "Aren't you supposed to be the best Mentor ever?"  
"The what? Mentor?" Ezio laughed nervously. "You are mistaken, beautiful. I'm merely out for revenge. Not some frilly rank."  
"Being Mentor is an honor." Mary snapped, emerging from behind the counter. Edward sidled over to them and studied the bottle in Anne's hands.  
"Being a dealer of vengeance for my family is a bigger one." Ezip replied.  
"Alright, hands off, Mr. Slick." Edward pried Ezio's reluctant fingers from around Anne's arm.  
"You let go of my fingers and her arm before you lose the ability to fu-"  
"Hey! Don't bring that into this!" Edward stepped back and held up both hands.  
"Alright, look, guys. Someone go find me some Clorox." Desmond crouched on the floor.  
"Now, if you will." His father barked.  
"What's Clorox?" Jacob asked honestly.  
"Never mind, I'll- Rebecca!" Desmond shouted.  
"What? I'm trying to sleep! No, no, Connor, don't touch that, that's the-"  
A panicked yelp sounded and there was the sound of heavy, running footsteps from upstairs.  
"Are you alright?" William called up.  
"Yeah! He just found out what a fan is! You know those fans where you soon the dial onto high and it just starts moving...? Um... well..."  
"Can you just get some Clorox?" Desmond asked.  
"I'm sending it down with Shaun."  
A few moments later, Shaun appeared downstairs holding a bright yellow tube made of shiny stuff. Shay and Evie were behind him, looking over his shoulder with round eyes at the mess.  
"Here." Shaun threw the tube at Desmond, who caught it.  
"Alright, who wants to help?" The modern day Assassin asked.  
"I can... I guess." Edward kneeled by the puddles and held out his hand. "What is that stuff?"  
"Just paper towels that are scented. A little too strongly, if you ask me." Desmond put a Clorox into his outstretched hand. "Don't-"  
Too late, Edward lifted it nose his face and took a deep breath, then threw the Clorox back at Desmond, pawing at his eyes.  
The other Assassins and Templar erupted into laughter.  
"No! No! This is not funny! It burns!"  
"I tried to warn you, Edward.." Desmond said through laughter, "You didn't listen."

***  
Ziio woke again to the sound of laughter from downstairs, and Arno and Aveline joking about something in the next room. She slowly pushed back the chair, then stopped in the doorway and looked back. Haytham was awake, he must have been for a while. He watched her with on side of his mouth curled, an expression she couldn't deduce.  
"What do you want?" She asked, trying to be taciturn. "I'm going to see Ratonhnhaké:ton."  
"You don't have to call him that, you know."  
"Call him what?"  
Haytham frowned. "Rah..... Rah-doon... Rah-dune-ha-gae-doon."  
"Ra-what?" Ziio allowed herself to chuckle at his difficulty. "You can't pronounce his name?"  
"Well, I've known him as Connor. He hasn't really told me what his real name is."  
"And you're just finding out now?"  
Haytham shrugged.  
"You need to practice." Ziio left the room.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragon_lord_loki1; I don't think Haytham ever learns Connor's real name. He'd fail just like with Ziio's name ;)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Poor Connor :)  
> PoisonHw; I'd say it's a Three Muskateer situation right now.

Once the soda was cleaned up, Shay and Haytham were tied to their chairs in the kitchen, while the other Assassins were given their choice of seats. William wasn't the best cook; Rebecca ended up taking over when the eggs lit fire that first time.  
"Alright," Desmond sat at the head of the table and prodded at the waffles on his plate. "We're going to have to be quiet today, Dad and Shaun and Rebecca are working on getting you back to your time zones."  
Edward snatched a waffle from Shay's plate- The Irish Templar nearly had a fit until Rebeeca gave him another- and bit into it, grinning. "The food here is too good."  
"I don't know what this is." Ziio picked up her waffle and frowned. "We eat it?"  
"Yes." Haytham held up his and shook it. "Why's it so floppy?"  
Jacob laughed. "You're all amatuers."  
"Sure we are, Novice!" Altaïr snarled, after taking a swig of his milk.  
"Whatever, mustache."  
"I don't have a mustache."  
"The milk, Altaïr." Evie tapped her upper lip and chuckled.  
Anne reached over with her fork and stole a bite of scrambled eggs from Ezio's share. "It's good. Just the eggs, not the... whatever those are."  
"I think William called them waffles." Ezio said.  
"Ah think it's delicious. If anyone doesn't eat their's, it's mine." Mary said through bites.  
"Here." Connor threw his waffle at her, and it bounced off her face onto her plate.  
"You aim is terrible." Haythem commented. Another waffle struck him in the face. "Hey- Who threw that?!"  
"Silence." Connor said seriously, although he was forcing back a laugh.  
"You're lucky I'm tied to this thing or I'd kneecap you." Haytham growled.  
Ziio nudged his shoulder. "You are in no position to be making threats."  
"Listen to her." Aveline folded her waffle in half and finished it that way. "I agree with Mary. This is good."  
"You all have poor taste in food, then." Jacob poked at his eggs, then scooped them up with his fork and balanced it against his thumb, an idea ringing through his mind.  
Desmond froze. "No, Jacob, don't you dare-"  
Edward yowled in fury as scrambled eggs shot toward him, then dove across the table, knocking over Altaïr's glass of milk and dumping the contents of Arno's plate onto his lap. The Assassin said so many curses in French that Aveline marched over and cuffed him on the ear.  
Jacob dashed out of the room, followed by a very agitated sea captain.  
Connor and Ezio beat the table with their fists, laughing through mouthfuls of food. Evie ducked out of the room after Edward, intent on saving her brother.  
"Heads up!" Desmond raced out of the room and shouted up the stairs. "Jacob threw scrambled eggs at Edward!"  
The Assassins and Templars at the table looked suspiciously at each other. Shay's free hand inched toward his fork, and Connor threw a waffle at him before he could complete his mission.  
Ezio started to reach for Altaïr's milk, only to be beat back by a waffle and a butter knife. Anne and Mary regarded each other with wide eyes and hefted their forks, ready to let fire at each other. Ziio made a point not to repeatedly jack slap Haytham in the face with a waffle, glad to have found a good purpose for the food at last.  
Arno and Aveline broke into an all out war, and attacked each other using waffles as swords and eggs as grenades.  
"Guys!" Desmond burst back into the room and threw his hands up. "Everyone freeze!"  
The room fell so silent you could hear someone drop a waffle (Ziio did.).  
"We can't even eat without starting a food fight, can we?" Desmond said tiredly. "Who made the first move?"  
All eyes went to Shay.  
"What?" The Templar demanded. "My hand moved maybe an inch for my fork before Connor threw a waffle at me."  
All eyes went to Connor.  
"I... I was worried he was going to escape." The Native mumbled.  
"Haytham deserved to be beaten with a... a waffle." Ziio crossed her arms. "For being a Templar."  
"Ziio, I don't think that's a valid point-" Haytham began.  
"Arno said so many things in French he had to be hit with something. Eggs, if nothing." Aveline explained. Arno blushed.  
"Altaïr did it!" Ezio exclaimed.  
"Anne did sleep with Calico once..."  
Anne threw a spoon at Mary.  
"Wait, wait, wait, no more fighting, okay? Templars... stay where you are, everyone else, out. Please."  
"What about Edward and the twins?" Altaïr asked.  
"Um.. they're having some bonding time." In truth, Shaun had gotten so frustrated he shoved all three into a room and locked the door.  
"Are they alright?" Ezio frowned. "I hear shouting."  
"They're fine. That's just your imagination."  
"If you can hear me, it's not your imagination!" Edward's voice barely made it past the door he pounded with the help of Jacob and Evie. "They're making us bond!"  
"Not happening!" Evie shouted.  
"What happened?" Connor questioned. "They sound upset."  
"Just go sit in the living room, boys and girls. Anne, Mary, and Ziio, Rebecca's waiting upstairs to out you in some modern clothes."  
Desmond turned back to the two Templars, still tied to their chairs. Already Shay and Haytham were trying to hit each other with waffles, although unlike before, both were laughing.  
"It's like everyone's serious side left as soon as they arrived her in Montreal."  
"Hey!" Shay ducked as Haytham nearly landed a blow on his neck. "For what it's worth, this new place is a lot better than the colonies."  
"I disagree." Haytham dropped his waffle back on his place. "Without Abstergo running amok, sure, I can see the lure of this city. But other than that Boston is better."  
"No, New York is." Shay countered. Desmond held up his hands.  
"Thanks for your opinions. You two are going to sit here while I clean up this mess, so I can keep an eye on you."  
"But why can't we go out there?" Shay motioned to the living room.  
"Because you're Templars and what do Assassins like to do?"  
"They aren't armed, and they haven't tried to kill us yet." Haytham muttered.  
"Yeah, well, in this century, Haytham, a remote can be a weapon."

***  
For a while, the Assassins were content to laugh and joke. Connor and Aveline tried to turn on the T.V, and Arno and Ezio arm wrestled while Altaïr loomed over them with what can only be describe as an evil smirk. He looked about ready to kick over one of their arms.  
"Wait. Shouldn't we press that button?" Aveline asked, shaking the remote.  
"Um... we should ask my father. He's stupid enough to have figured it out."  
"Use that word in the wrong context again, son. Please. I can hear you from here!" Haytham called.  
"Come on, Ezio, are you a man or a mouse?" Altaïr crouched by Ezio, who was losing the arm wrestle.  
"Neither, he's Italian." Arno said through clenched teeth. "Now get out of our faces."  
"Please stay." Ezio groaned. He gasped as Arno pushed his hand down. "Damn it!"  
"Don't blame me. Who trained you?" Arno held up his hands, then his gaze turned up and his mouth dropped.  
"What?" Ezio followed the Assassin's line of sight. Altaïr and Connor both followed suit, and Aveline just sighed and grinned.  
Anne and Mary stood at the top of the stairs. Behind them stood Ziio, slightly shorter than both. All three wore black pants, although Mary's were clearly meant for a man and not a woman. Her shirt was meant for a man as well, colored a dull gold hue with red lettering across it.  
Anne wore a purple shirt that hugged her tightly (Ezio's eyes boggled, until Arno tapped his shoulder and he had to blink.) and Ziio wore a regular colored brown shirt and a grin.  
Desmond led Shay and Haytham out, then pushed them onto the couch. Haytham needed an extra shove because he was gazing at Ziio with what looked like awe.  
"Oh, please, what are you staring at?" Mary took the stairs two at a time and landed with a boom on the first floor. Ziio followed her lead, although without slamming all her weight against the floor. Anne was slower and when she finally reached the first floor she sat by Ezio, Arno, and Altaïr like they weren't staring at her. Mary went to the T.V to help Connor and Aveline turn it on, and Ziio trotted to the couch and sat by Haytham.  
"Okay, then, you're all either entranced with someone or focusing on that T.V." Desmond clasped his hands. "I'm going to go check on Edward and the twins. When I get back, I expect complete silence and no wars. Understood?"  
He sounded just like William. The thought made him cringe as he headed up the stairs.  
Shay tapped his foot and bounced his knee, trying to keep his gaze off the women, although it kept meeting with Mary. At which point she would either smile or make a move like she was going to throw the remote at him.  
Haytham didn't say anything; he couldn't think of anything he deemed clever enough.  
Ziio was happy he was tongue tied.  
Connor was getting increasingly frustrated with the T.V.  
Aveline was trying to keep him from punching the T.V.  
Mary tried to draw Shay's attention then force it away.  
Altaïr was trying to explain to Arno the benefits of owning a morning star.  
Arno wasn't listening and trying to tell Altaïr how much more effective a rapier was.  
Ezio was staring at Anne.  
Anne was staring at Ezio.  
Upstairs, Edward shot out of the room when Desmond finally opened the door.  
This time, Jacob followed him, brandishing the Windex he had picked up from the floor on his way into the living room.  
Evie gave up and loped down the stairs after thanking Desmond.  
Desmond sighed and found his father, to go and ask for help on keeping his ancestors in check.  
William's response, because he was busy at the time, was to wave a water bottle threateningly until Desmond got the message and left.  
Shaun was trying to contact John and question his principles (Apparently he had enlisted the help of a new Abstergo employee, and was quite forceful about it.).  
Rebecca was busy trying to hack Abstergo systems again so they could get the Assassins and Templars back to their time zones before Desmond, as the unofficial babysitter, lost his mind.  
Overall it as a busy morning.


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dragon_lord_Loki1; I could just imagine them armed with pillows and waffles, maybe Templars vs Assassins, although Shay and Haytham will be severely outnumbered ;)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Arno and Ezio are each others' right hand man, although every male in the room at the time was probably starstruck at the time.  
> PoisonHw; I wonder what kind of music would be playing xD
> 
> Got to thinking about their reactions to modern day music and this came to mind.

The Assassins and Templars in the living room were content to go about their morning, ignoring Edward and Jacob's occasional fights. Which Evie would try to break up, until someone accidently kicked her and she got into the fight as well.  
Connor, Aveline, and Mary were all losing their patience with the T.V.  
"Come on! We've tried every button on this thing!" Connor exclaimed.  
"Didn't you say your father knows how to work this thing?" Mary asked.  
All three turned to Haytham, who sat on the couch with Ziio right next to him, braiding Shay's ponytail (The Templar had fallen asleep with his head propped up on his arm, and Connor had taken the opportunity and urged her to braid his hair.).  
"Oh, no. I am not giving you the skills to turn it on." Haytham held up his bound wrists. "You're smart enough to figure it out."  
"Just help him, Haytham."  
"But Ziio-"  
"I can braid your ponytail, too."  
"The button on the side of the T.V- works every time." Haytham shied away from Ziio, and she laughed.  
"Wait, which- Holy mother of- what's-" Mary jumped back, gawking at the T.V, which had sprung to life. A bright yellow sponge danced across the screen.  
"Aye, aye, captain!" Blared the screen.  
Edward peered into the room. "Did I hear something?"  
"I can't hear you!"  
Edward smiled. "Aye, aye, captain!" He shouted.  
"Turn the T.V. off!" Jacob howled. Edward yelped as the Windex bottle struck him from the kitchen. "He's going to be chanting that the rest of the day!"  
"Who lives under a pineapple under the sea-"  
Mary turned it off and stared at the T.V with wide eyes.  
Edward gave a bored sigh. "Great, see, nothing to do but chase Templars around with a can of Pepsi."  
Haytham smiled. "I'd rather drink it."  
"Wait, you can drink the stuff?" Connor asked.  
Ziio chuckled and resumed her normal position as Shay stirred and opened his eyes.  
Altaïr raised and eyebrow, then trotted behind the couch and collapsed in a fit of silent laughter, pointing at Shay's ponytail.  
"What's so funny?" Shay frowned and reached back, feeling for his hair. His face changed from curiosity to horror. "Who did that?!"  
"You..." Ezio and Anne fell over each other laughing. "That's what you get for falling asleep."  
"Not funny." Shay narrowed his eyes at the pair. "Help me undo this."  
"You're stuck that way." Arno held out his hands. "No one wants to help a Templar."  
"How cruel." Aveline laughed.  
"No, stop laughing. This isn't funny. Someone help me." Shay pleaded, swinging his gaze around the room. "Real fair."  
"It's that or scratch at your scar." Connor piped up.  
Ziio frowned, "What happens when you-"  
"Let's not go into that." Shay snapped.  
Arno realized Altaïr was still behind the couch, and padded over, looking over Shay's shoulder. The Irishman regarded him with hopeful eyes, but Arno ignored them and smirked at the crumpled Assassin behind the couch.  
"Something tells me you didn't laugh often." An idea clicked in his mind. "Sit up for a moment."  
"What are you going to do?" Altaïr composed himself and stood up, both eyebrows raised expectantly. "What do you want?"  
"Close your eyes."  
"No."  
"Trust me."  
"Why should I?"  
"Because my name isn't Haytham or Shay."  
"I see what you did there." Ezio called from across the room. Both he and Anne were dangerously close to kissing each other, it looked. Everyone in the room watched with pure silence, wondering what the Frenchman was going to do.  
"Fair point. You have ten seconds." Altaïr closed his eyes, and Arno rubbed his thing across the scar on the Master Assassin's mouth.  
Altaïr erupted in a fit of giggles and grabbed his stomach, doubling over.  
"Don't- don't do that-"  
"Aha!" Arno bent and did it again, and this time Altaïr folded to his knees, laughing and swiping furiously at Arno's hands.  
"No-stop- it's not- funny-"  
"So wait." Ziio looked at Altaïr, then at Shay. "If he laughs, then what do you do?"  
"I wouldn't be in his face if you're going to do that." Haytham cautioned.  
"Why not?" Ziio asked.  
"Because you don't." The Irishman leaned away from her and covered his face with his bound hands. "It's not the best idea."  
Arno was laughing, too, and crouched over Altaïr, who had eventually curled onto his side in an attempt to stop his own laughter.  
Ezio brightened up. "I want to try!"  
"No-Ezio- I'll shove my-foot down your throat-"  
"Aw, come on. Leave him alone." Mary chided. Aveline and Connor chuckled.  
"This is... kind of funny." Aveline smiled.  
"No! Help- Arno-"  
Arno was right, though, it had been a while since he laughed.

***  
Desmond heard laughter from downstairs. He stopped listening to his iPad and held it to his chest as he crept down to the first floor, ready for whatever mess awaited him.  
Edward, Jacob, and Evie were having what appeared to be a wrestling match in the kitchen (At least they weren't breaking anything.).  
Connor and Aveline were bent over the remote of the T.V. guessing what each button was used for. Ezio and Anne were in a corner, joking with each other and watching Arno make Altaïr crumble into a heap of laughter and curses. Mary was busy crawling around the T.V. stand, poking the wires and studying every inch of the machinery. Shay sat with an irritated look on the couch as Ziio undid what appeared to be a braid in his ponytail, and Ziio was laughing the whole time. Haytham just studied the others with a bored look to him, and would occasionally instruct Connor what a button on the remote was for.  
Desmond sat at the foot of the stairs and focused on his iPad until he was aware of a shadow above him.  
He looked up, wondering which of his ancestors it was.  
Haytham stood with his tied hands in front of him, one corner of his mouth turned down.  
"What's that?"  
"It's an iPad."  
"Well... how does it work?"  
"I have no idea."  
"You don't know how it works, but you're using it."  
"Aye."  
"Am I allowed to try?"  
"Um, sure. I'll let your play Subway Surfers, maybe hear some music. But that's it, alright?"  
Haytham nodded, and Desmond tapped the stair beside him and showed his ancester the various mechanisms of the game.  
"Just keep running from the guard."  
"So I have to jump and slide away from him? For how long?"  
"As long as you can."  
"I see."  
Desmond untied his hands and let the Templar try the game, confident there would be no escaping.  
"What's that?" Arno stopped making Altaïr laugh (The Assassin sat up and caught his breath, shouting several vulgar things at Arno and everyone else in the room.) and came over.  
"Desmond! Come here, I need you to hop in the Anumus!" Rebecca shouted down the stairs.  
"I'm coming!" He replied, then turned to Haytham. "Keep that thing safe."  
Altaïr, Arno, and now Mary gathered behind Haytham and gazed at the screen. He got to score of 1000 before Arno swiped it from his hands.  
"What are you doing?" He reached out for, it but Altaïr knocked his hands away.  
"Call it exploring." Arno smirked.  
"Press that button, it says Music. Ah like music." Mary grinned and poked at the screen.  
Arno pulled away from her and nodded. "I wonder what a playlist is."  
"Maybe it has to do with music." Altaïr piped up.  
"Oi." Aveline gave Connor the remote and padded over, clearly curious. "What's that?"  
"That's a lot of songs, I think...? What's a Gangnum Style?" The tablet suddenly started blaring it's music across the room, almost at full sound.  
"'Ayy..... sexy lad-ay!"  
Mary laughed, and Arno stared at the thing with wide eyes.  
"What kind of music is that?" Ziio asked, and trotted to the stairs. "It sounds... horrible."  
"Wait." Shay appeared over her shoulder, craning his neck to see the screen. "Sounds like... I can't place it. Try another- Whoa, why would someone want to sing a song about anaconda's?"  
"Try it." Connor pushed his father out of the way and clambered onto the stairs.  
"Here goes nothing....." Arno closed his eyes and pressed the button.  
"My anaconda don't. My anaconda don't."  
"Doesn't sound good so far." Anne said from the corner.  
".... don't want none unless you got buns, hun-"  
Shay threw himself on the couch and buried his face in a pillow, to hide the reddening of his cheeks. Connor rolled his eyes, throwing his hands up. Anne and Mary laughed, and Ezio puffed his chest out proudly and opened his mouth as if to sing along. Ziio gaped at the little screen, and Arno stared at it with his eyes wide. Haytham covered his face with his hands and let out a noise of embarrassment. Altaïr recoiled and lowered his head to try and force the blush from his face. Aveline simply stared, her face turned in a look of disbelief.  
Arno finally tossed the thing at Shay, who swore at him and shoved it under a few pillows. With the music concealed (It still faintly played, adding to the silence that spread between them.) they finally relaxed.  
"Ah don't know who sang that," Mary began. "But that's just funny."  
"Terrible." Altaïr shook his head. "Absolutely terrible."  
"That was embarrassing for us males." Connor growled. "Come on."  
"You throw away your masculinity." Ezio waved a hand. "You all know exactly what your anaconda-"  
"Ezio!" Anne clamped a hand over his mouth. "Greatest Mentor of the Italian brotherhood... you're such a playboy."  
"I never found out what your scar does." Ziio said contemplatingly.  
"Oh, no...." Shay groaned.  
"I can't help curiosity."  
"Just wake him up by scratching it tomorrow, you'll get your answer." Haytham said.  
"Grandmaster!"  
"It's the truth."  
All conversation was halted when Jacob burst into the room, followed by an exasperated Evie and a livid Edward.  
"Someone! Please!" Jacob pulled Connor after him in a crouch, and Edward stumbled against the both of them,cursing loudly.  
"What now?" Aveline asked.  
"Well...." Evie brushed her hair from her face. "See, Jacob the Genius decided to call Edward a few things... one thing led to another and Jacob turned his Windex against him.... and now we're here."  
"Oh... shouldn't we separate them?" Arno questioned.  
"They'll be fine." Connor said. "I want to watch T.V."  
Desmond appeared at the top of the stairs. "Hey, guys."  
"Halloo!" Shay proclaimed. Arno pounced on him with a pillow.  
"Wait."  
"Desmond, we're a little busy." Anne countered.  
"Something's missing."  
"Do you have a cat?" Altaïr asked. "Maybe it got out."  
"Haytham."  
"Yes.. Desmond?" Came the nervous reply.  
"Where's my iPad?"  
Silence fell over the group, and all eyes turned toward the couch.  
"My anaconda don't-"  
"Oh, great. You messed with the playlist." Desmond rolled his eyes. Altaïr threw his hands up.  
"Blame the Templars!"


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; I'm not sure what song to use, if you want, pick a a song and they'll react to it! And yep, Alfaïr's too serious. I mean really, bro. Laugh a little.  
> PoisonHw; Anne is a man's lady (That is probably not the word for it.) and Ezio's a ladies' man- They are forming something here ;) Haytham just strikes me as having the patience, primarily because he's the most logical of the Kenways (Edward, at the moment, is a boisterous fighter, and Connor's got his mom back, so neither of them would really care for technology, at least, I think.)

The day passed with another snowstorm (Jacob dove behind the couch when the lights went out and refused to come out until they were back on, despite Evie's exasperated curses.), and when the snow finally stopped around five at night, William agreed to let them go into the backyard.  
Haytham and Shay preceded to meet under the tree and repeatedly pushed their luck by stepping onto the frozen water of the pool, then jumping back.  
Ziio was content to climb the tree and bombard everyone but Connor with snowballs, much to Altaïr's displeasure. Jacob and Edward came together and formed a game idea, one that involved the Tenplars as their targets.  
"Alright," Edward began, when the Assassins clustered around him. "Here's the plan. Snowballs are ammunition. Fire at will, be sneaky. When I give the signal, attack!"  
"What's the signal?" Ezio asked.  
"A whistle is too loud." Mary said. "We need something else."  
"How about this, Ziio, you're the best tree climber." Arno murmered. "Why didn't you start the attack."  
"Shhh!" Altaïr jerked his chin at the Templars. "We have an audience."  
Shay crossed his arms, one foot on the ice. Haytham stared at them with an eyebrow raised.  
"Alright, fan out, and fire when Ziio gives the signal." Edward waved them away and clasped his hands behind his back, grinning innocently.  
"What the hell was that about?" Haytham questioned. Anne and Ezio snuck up behind him.  
"Nothing."  
Ziio was creeping out above them on a branch, careful not to knock snow off the tree.  
"Sure, because we have no reason to be suspicious." Shay scanned the backyard. "Hold a moment... Grandmaster, they're behind us-"  
"Attack!" Ziio shouted.  
The backyard exploded as Shay and Haytham were beaten back by snowballs and laughing Assassins.  
"This isn't fair! It's our two to your.... your eleven!" Shay's eyes widened as he stumbled against the wall, and he narrowly avoided being hit by another snowball.  
"I agree." Haytham scooped up a snowball and drew his arm back, aiming for Jacob.  
"Wait!" Rebecca poked her head out of the glass door. "William is demanding you all stop throwing the snowballs. People are going to wonder why they're getting rained on with those things."  
"Great, now what are we going to do?" Ezio dropped the snowball he was holding with a disappointed look.  
"We'll find something." Anne smirked.  
"What if we make Templar Popsicles?" Altaïr mused.  
"You do that and you can kiss your tongue goodbye." Haytham snapped.  
"I'm not kissing anything." Altaïr shot back.  
"Stop your bickering." Aveline held up her hands. "We'll find something to do. How about a fort contest?"  
"A fort contest? What are we, ten?" Evie groaned.  
"You're sure acting like it." Rebecca rolled her eyes, then began to close the glass door. "If any of you need jackets, come inside."  
"Maybe we could ask Desmond-" Arno began.  
"Desmond and Shaun went to the store, they'll be right back."  
"What did they go to the store for?" Mary asked.  
"Stuff to make you kids dinner." Rebecca closed the door.  
"We are not kids!" Edward shouted after her.  
"You do whatever you want." Shay started climbing the tree, making quick progress. "I want to see if I can view the city."  
"You'll have to go higher than I did." Ziio cautioned. "You may not be able to find a way down."  
"I'll manage."  
"We got rid of one Templar." Ezio said slowly.  
"Why don't we have a ground war?" Arno suggested. "Two big teams of six go against each other."  
"We'll have to make forts." Jacob pointed out.  
"And snowballs are our only ammunition." Edward added. "We're not supposed to use those."  
Aveline shrugged. "It's worth it. Just don't throw them over the fence."  
Alright... who's with who, then?" Mary stepped back. "Ah'm a team captain."  
"I'll be the next one!" Anne stood in the snow beside her.  
"I'm on Anne's team!" Ezio jumped forward ad looped an arm around her shoulder.  
"Edward." Mary said, considering her options. Edward joined her by the pool and smiled.  
"Our enemies don't stand a chance."  
"Come over here and say that." Ezio challenged.  
"Arno." Anne pointed to the Frenchman.  
"Altaïr." The Assassin smirked and trudged through the snow to stand by Edward.  
"Haytham." Anne beckoned to him. "Mary probably wouldn't pick you."  
"Thank you....?"  
"Ah want Ziio on my team." Mary grinned and motioned to the Mohawk woman. "You got the tree climbing skill."  
"My Father and I can climb trees, too, you know." Connor stood by Anne. "Good luck, Mother."  
"You as well."  
The team choosing ended with Ezio, Connor, Haytham, Arno, Jacob, and Anne on one team, and Edward, Altaïr, Ziio, Evie, Aveline, and Mary on the other.  
"May the best team win." Mary shook hands with Anne and her team trotted to one end of the backyard.  
"Ten minutes to build your forts and ammunition piles." Anne called. "Get to work, me trumps!"  
Altaïr looked up and grabbed Edward's arm, chuckling. "The tree, look, the tree."  
"What are you talking about?" Then he saw what Altaïr thought was funny. Shay had climbed high, yes, but now he was pacing a branch far above the ground, a worried air about him.  
"Shay, what's wrong with you?" Aveline asked.  
"Uh... I think... there's no way down." The Templar paced faster, clearly getting more distressed.  
"Alright, stay calm. We'll climb up there and get you down." Edward shook his head and laughed.  
"I can get down myself!"  
"Prove it, then." Evie stood at the base of the tree.  
"Well-"  
"I'm coming up there." Ziio scurried up the tree and reached the branch, then craned her neck and looked down, one hand on Shay's shoulder. "I think you may have been right.... There's a way up but it's one-way."  
"What? You're being wimps." Edward clambered up after her, albeit a little slower. He joined the two on the branch and peered at the tree trunk. "Not good."  
"Wait a minute." Shay frowned. "How much do you all weigh? I think this branch might be near its-"  
The tree branch snapped, sending the three crashing to the ground, on top of a still laughing Altaïr.  
"I think I just broke my head." Edward groaned, holding his ear. "Was there a rock in the snow?'  
"You can't break your head, idiot." Altaïr barked, pushing the branch off of himself. "I can't believe none of you warned me."  
"My back aches, but I'm glad I landed in the snow." Ziio sat up and brushed her knees off. "Make sure the Templar's alive."  
"Oh, I'm still here. My tailbone hurts." Shay grunted, flipping onto his stomach in the snow.  
Evie, Mary, and Aveline shared a look from where they had been building the fort, and laughed loudly, earning themselves looks from the enemy team.  
"I think your sense of logic left you in your time zones." Aveline commented.  
"No, it really hurts." Shay arched his back and groaned.  
"Won't be climbing trees anytime soon, will you?" Edward taunted.  
"You're the one who broke his head." Altaïr snapped.  
"Can that even happen?" Ziio asked.  
"Hey! Are ye working over there?" Anne called.  
"We're doing fine!" Mary responded.  
"Wait, are you Irish?" Shay asked. Edward kicked him one the back.  
"You are going nowhere near her."  
"We're going to attack you soon!" Arno shouted. "And you're not ready?"  
"Oh, hell yeah, we're ready!" Evie threw the Snowball Heard Around the Neighborhood.

***  
That night they had pizza (No more fights, and even though the Templars were free of their bonds, they were regurily shown either a Pepsie or a belt.) that Rebecca had made from what Desmond and Shaun bought.  
When they were finished eating they were aloud to roam the house and sleep wherever they wanted, save William's room. Anyone who can close to William's door was pushed away by a furiously brandished water bottle.  
Shay, Mary, and Arno wandered into the study and were yelled at by Shaun for pulling out the books, until the modern day Assassin relented and allowed them to read. Arno curled up on the easy chair, and Mary sat propped against the bookshelf, reading a book about.. well, she was pretty sure it had to do with the Crusades. Shay was still sensative about his tailbone and fell asleep sprawled out on his back over the floor, an open book dropped against his face to block out the light.  
Ezio and Anne fell asleep in one of the rooms, and nobody dared ask them what they were doing. Edward found a bathtub and curled up inside of it, knowing full well Jacob would probably turn the water on and scare the shit out of him. Connor and Aveline shared a room with Jacob and Evie, and Evie got the bed. Jacob fell asleep against the floor, his thumb suspiciously tucked into his mouth (Again.) Connor drifted off with his back to the wall next to Aveline, and she eventually slipped to the side, so her head rested on his shoulder. Altaïr was pleased to discover an extra room near them, and promptly slammed the door shut and fell asleep on the bed.  
Haytham slept stretched out on the couch, one hand on Ziio's ankle. She lay beside him, her arms wrapped around his feet.  
The house was silent and peaceful, much to Desmond, William, Shaun, and Rebecca's relief.  
Until the first Assassin woke up again in the morning.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> salanaland; Wait. What. 0.o I had no idea- I hope there's a connection. She had a son, right? Or did he pass away?  
> IcedFireFrenzy; No prob, bro :) -it'll have to be next chapter, though, they have an eventful morning :D and I didn't add the Coke in either, I intend to do that.  
> PoisonHw and dani; You don't miss much ;) (Without giving anything away.... I will say he was Edward for a while.)

Ziio's eyes opened and she looked around, momentarily wondering where she was. In a new world. With a new group of people. Including Haytham. Well, he wasn't new. She looked up, the sight of him sending a jolt through her. He was definitely sleeping, his thumb moving over her ankle in slow circles. She was liking the closeness. But she had relinquished that long ago.  
"Haytham."  
He stirred. "Hm?"  
"Off."  
"What?"  
"My foot."  
He started and pulled his hand away, looking up at the ceiling. "... Sorry."  
She grinned at him, then slid off the couch.  
"Where are you going?"  
"To wake up Shay."  
"Wait." Haytham stood and stretched. "Let me come. He'll probably get angry at you."  
"Oh? And you'll protect me?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I can handle myself."  
"Ah, yes." He smiled, clearly reminded of the fight in the tavern.  
"Just be quiet." She said quickly. "Is he down here?"  
"They went into the study upstairs."  
"I still don't trust you."  
"Ziio, you trusted me for roughly a year."  
"Maybe longer."  
"Oh?"  
She told herself to keep her mouth shut and climbed the stairs. Too much had been given away.  
"Ziio?" He pressed.  
"Quiet." She froze, listening. "I think someone's awake."

***  
Arno heard voices. He yawned and straightened up in the chair, chuckling at Shay's sprawled out position on the floor. Wait.  
Arno frowned and paused, gazing at the Templar. Something was off.... Shay reminded him of someone. Albeit a younger version.... he frowned, then crouched and removed the book from Shay's face. His height and build, and the set of his jaw bore a similar-  
He froze at the sound of the door opening. Ziio and Haytham peered in, then stepped inside.  
Haytham's first reaction was to look through the books, while Ziio kneeled beside him.  
"What are you doing?" She asked.  
"Nothing, he just... I was just reminded of something." He mumbled, opening the book and leafing through the pages. Something about the British economy. No wonder Shay fell asleep.  
"I'm going to wake him up." Ziio said, with a mischievous grin.  
"Stay away from his face- is that a world map?" Haytham seemed distracted by one of the globes on the bookshelf.  
"Scholars." Arno rolled his eyes.  
"I am not a scholar! I am a learned man, that's all there is to it." Came the indignant reply.  
Ziio gently traded her nail along the scar on Shay's eye, grinning. Arno leaned back and chuckled.  
"Careful...."  
The Templar groaned and swatted her hand away.  
"Ziio, I'd get out of his face."  
"Why are you warning me?" She asked. "I'll hamstring him if he tries anything."  
When did it again, and Shay wrinkled his nose, reaching up and swiping his hand at her. "Go away."  
She continued, and finally Shay sneezed, and sat up, cursing them. Ziio jumped back and wiped her face, growling.  
"Really, Shay?"  
"You got in my face." He replied, leaning back against the floor.  
"Don't even think about going to sleep again." Arno warned.  
"Fine! I'm awake, I'm awake. Grandmaster! You didn't stop them?"  
"America isn't that big." Haytham pointed to the globe and frowned. "Why are there fifty colonies?"  
"Wait, everyone freeze." Arno stood up and held out his hands. "Do you hear that? It sounds like Desmond."  
The room grew silent, save the sound of violent cursing and shouts.  
"That's because it is Desmond." Haytham trotted to the door and peered into the hallway. "Are you awake?" He called.  
The sound continued.  
"Hey, um, guys. I need your help if you're up to it." Rebecca's voice wafted from the other room,'and the four hurried to it, looking in with wide eyes.  
Desmond had thrown the sheets off onto the floor, and he was thrashing and cursing invisible enemies to hell. He had a hand clenched, like he was somehow using a sword to stab and parry attacks that didn't exist.  
Rebecca sat on the bedside, trying to get him to calm down.  
"Help me restrain him."  
"What? Is he touched in the head?"  
"No, no, no, no, Ziio. Remember when he got in the Animus?"  
"In the what? Animal?" Shay looked confused.  
"No, Animus. It triggered a delayed bleeding affect."  
"He's not bleeding." Arno said.  
"Just help me restrain him! He's getting out of control!" Rebecca raised her voice as Desmond punched out with his fist, catching her jaw.  
Haytham grasped Desmond's legs, and Arno caught down one of his hands. Ziio wrapped her hands around his other elbow and straightened it out, so he couldn't bend and swipe.  
Shay bent over the bed, his eyebrow raised. "What can I do?"  
"Get me... anything. A cup of water, whatever's liquid."  
He disappeared out of the room.  
"No! No! No!" Desmond shouted, jerking once and arching his back. "No!"  
"Desmond! Come on, get out there...." Rebecca thumped his head. "Think, iPads, Katy Perry, you thought she was hot, right? Computers, Call of Duty."  
Desmond yowled, and this time Ezio came rushing in, his hair disheveled, Anne clinging to his forearm.  
"What happened?" He asked, eyes sliding over the bed.  
"Something." Rebecca groaned.  
Shay pushed past Anne and showed Rebecca what looked like a red Pepsi can, with Coca Cola on it.  
"This was all I could find."  
"Shake it."  
"What?" The Irishman squeaked.  
"Shake it, damn you- he's kicking things that shouldn't be kicked-" Haytham barked.  
Shay paled and held the can away from himself, shaking it violently.  
"Hold it toward him and open it." Rebecca commanded, adjusting her grip on Desmond's head, so he didn't strike it against the wall.  
"Devil curse you, Rebecca." Shay cringed and held the can toward him, pulling the cap.  
The liquid surged out and Desmond's eyes flew open.  
He slowly relaxed, and his ancestors eased away, muttering at Shay for not aiming particularly at Desmond and getting them wet.  
"Not my fault." Shay threw the can against the wall. "Screw that fucking little-"  
"Edward." Desmond gasped, sitting up. He held his head in his hands. "Oh my God... Rebecca, where is he?"  
"Thank you for finally speaking. We were about to hear some rather unpleasant things." Arno looked pointedly at Shay, who swore at him and left the room.  
"I think he fell asleep downstairs." Mary said, from behind a stunned Anne and Ezio. "Should I get him?"  
"I died, Rebecca. When you started grabbing me some English fuck came up and stuck me."  
"You were on a ship?"  
"Galleon... 1715. That would have been fun if it wasn't so real."  
"Wait, you were in the past?" Haytham raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that."  
"If you were there," Desmond said seriously. "You wouldn't doubt."

***  
Connor, Aveline, Jacob and Evie woke up to voices.  
"I think something happened to Desmond." Aveline suggested.  
"He's fine now... I can hear them through the wall, they're wondering ehat to make for breakfast.-" From the other room, Mary shouted that she wanted waffles- "I don't hear Edward." Jacob smiled wickedly. "Let's find him."  
"What do you intend to do?" Connor asked.  
"I remember he fell asleep in the bathtub, and since I have just recently learned how it works, I plan on waking him up."  
"I'll wake up Altaïr." Aveline held up a hand. "Not every day you get to wake up the greatest Assassin ever by making him laugh."  
"Alright, two teams, then. Let's see who's angrier. Me and Evie versus you and Connor." Jacob grinned.  
"Done." Aveline smirked. "Move out."

***  
Connor crept into the room and let Aveline in behind him. Altaïr lay on his back, his head tipped up.  
"Who gets the honors?" Aveline whispered.  
"Ladies?"  
"In your dreams." She smirked and nudged Connor forward. "Good luck."  
Connor smiled and darted forward, rubbing Altaïr's scar with his knuckles.  
The Assassin giggled, then settled back again.  
"My turn." Aveline grinned, then slowly stretched her hand out, following the same motion.  
This time the Assassin grabbed his stomach and burst into loud laughter, rolling to the side- although the bed ended a few inches after where he would stop rolling on a continued flay surface.  
He gasped and landed on the floor, still laughing.  
"You- You're both- I'm going to hurt you-"  
Connor and Aveline smiled down at him. "Well, you should see how Edward's about to wake up."

***  
"Ready when you are." Jacob whispered.  
Evie closed the door and gave him a thumbs- up.  
Her tein stepped closer to the tub, then threw himself forward, flicking the knob to turn the water on.  
Edward gave a startled shout and frantically tried to pull himself from the bathtub, then fell over on the other side, onto the floor, and glared up at Jacob. Evie had snuck out of the bathroom while she still could.  
"Um.. little help, dear sister?"  
No reply.  
"Evie?"  
Little did he know, she was already helping Rebecca try and make waffles again.  
"Evie....?"  
"Jacob..."  
"Oh, fuck."  
He dove for the door, and pulled it open, scrabbling at the handle.  
That morning, a loud, Welsh accented call echoed through the house, frightening Ezio into a closet and scaring Haytham behind the couch.  
"Jacob!!!"


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Only the glass door will know... until someone's forehead connects with it, then the whole house will be painfully aware.  
> PoisonHw; His father. I have this idea... but I searched the beginning of Unity, when his father has just died and Arno rushes into the room. Shay's nowhere in the crowd, he left the palace.

Rebecca lifted an eyebrow at Edward's shout, but went back to prepping the waffle mixture with the help of Evie and Mary.  
"What was that?" Shay looked up from the table, where he was arm wrestling with Haytham.  
"Nothing." Evie said quickly. "Carry on."  
Arno sat next to Shay, staring at him with something brewing in his eyes. No matter how many times they tried, Aveline, Ziio, and Connor, and Altaïr couldn't wrestle a reply from him.  
Anne fiddler with the radio, turning the knobs and pressing buttons Desmond warned her she shouldn't press. Ezio stood beside her, equally enchanted with the little box.  
"Guys, away from this... what's this called? Fire? Furnace, that's it. It's hot." Mary nudged Ezio's elbow.  
"We're fine." Anne tapped the radio.  
"Um, it's the waffle maker thing. I have no idea what it's called." Desmond trotted to the fridge. "Who wants something to drink?"  
Shay's arm his the table and he narrowed his eyes at Arno, "What?"  
"You." Arno said simply.  
"Me. Yes. Shay. Now what are you staring at me for?"  
Ziio and Haytham went silent, although their eyes met.  
"I'm going to ask you one thing."  
"Make it quick."  
"Have you ever been to France?"  
Shay glanced at Haytham, then frowned and shook his head. "No, I've never-"  
Arno lunged across the table, throwing one arm around Shay's neck and dragging him to the floor, shouting things in French.  
"Arno!" Haytham and Ezio both rushed to pull the Frenchman off Shay, for different reasons.  
Ziio nudged Aveline's arm. "What's he saying?"  
"Something about avenging his father." Aveline shrugged. "How much of an Irish dog Shay is, and the rest is curses."  
Arno drew his arm back and boxed Shay's ear, then swung a fist at Ezio when the Italian tried to grasp his shoulders.  
"Get off me!" Shay rolled to the side and staggered back against the wall, shaking his fist at Arno. "One step toward me and I'll-"  
"You'll what?" Arno growled, pushing himself to his feet. "You'll kill me like you did my father?"  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Arno." Ezio tugged at Arno's shirtsleeve. "If he did something he doesn't remember."  
Arno swore and pushed past everyone in the kitchen, going out into the living room.  
Everyone in the room stood rooted in place for a while, questioning Arno's purpose for attacking the Templar.  
"Desmond." Rebecca held up a hand. "A word."  
The two left the room, muttering quietly to each other.  
"But the waffles are going to burn." Mary said.  
"Let them." Shay snapped. "Just eat an apple."  
"Templar said what?"  
"Enough fighting." Haytham held up his hands in a gesture of exasperation. "Shay, you're causing nothing but trouble. Just... be quiet for a while, alright?"  
"Yeah." Evie said pointedly.  
Shay hissed at her.  
"Hey." Haytham snapped his finger at the table. "Sit. Now."  
Shay stalked to the table and buried his head in his arms.  
Ziio eyed Haytham with a look of approval. "That is the Haytham I know."  
Connor groaned. "Please. I can't even begin to tell of the things he's done."  
"I'm hungry." Altaïr groaned. "If Rebecca won't get that waffle, I will."  
"No, it's mine." Mary challenged.  
"Jacob!!!" A panicky Jacob burst into the room, his eyes rbightening when he saw the glass door.  
"Hey, what-" Connor didn't finish his sentence before Edward shoved through the door, dripping wet.  
"Stop him!" He barked.  
Jacob swore at Evie for abandoning him and dove at the glass door.  
"No, no, wait-" Haytham put his head in his hands. "Gods, Jacob."  
The Englishman's head connected with the class and he slid down, so he lay sprawled on the kitchen tile.  
"Oh, great." Edward paused and flexed his fingers. "Now I can eat before I beat him up."  
"What's his attraction to the glass door?" Evie asked.  
"You don't want to know." Altaïr replied.  
Ezio and Anne chuckled from where they were in the corner, messing with the radio.  
"Wait, what does this button do-" Anne stopped mid sentence as a loud noise played through the room.  
"... Are you ready for, ready for...."  
"What's this?" Ziio blinked.  
Shay raised his head and clamped his hands over his ears. "Turn it off."  
"The perfect storm, perfect storm...."  
"We can change the song, see?" Ezio said.  
"Let's leave it for a while, I like this." Aveline smiled. "Listen to the words."  
"'Cause once you're mine, once you're mine...."  
"Interesting...." Evie began.  
"There's no going back."  
"Ah like it, too. What's it called?"  
".... 'cause I'm coming at you like a dark horse...."  
"I think In have your song name." Haytham cringed as the music hit a high note. "Try another."  
"But the music sounds good." Altaïr grinned.  
"I prefer anything with a flute." Connor raised an eyebrow. "Everything else is alright, too."  
Ezio flipped the station before the others could stop him.  
"Can't read my, can't read my, no you can't read my poker face..."  
"This is..." Shay shrugged. "Fine."  
"What does poker face mean?" Edward asked.  
"It means you have the same stoic look no matter what." Evie said.  
"Poker... as in the thing you use to stir a fire?" Ziio questioned.  
"No." Evie frowned. "Am I the only one who knows what poker is?"  
"Maybe not the only one." Mary nudged Jacob's slumped form.  
"He still needs to wake up, you know." Haytham said slowly.  
"No, leave him.... do you smell something?" Altaïr lifted his head an sniffed.  
"I do." Ezio looked around, then turned down the radio. Anne closed her eyes and nodded to the beat, like she enjoyed the music.  
Haytham's eyes widened. "Remember that thing, about burning waffles, Shay?"  
The Irishman's eyes widened, and everyone went silent, save the continued repeating of Poker Face on low.  
Templar and Assassins alike slowly turned and looked toward the counter, mouths dropping open.  
Smoke curled from the waffle maker, carrying with it a bittersweet smell.  
"Uh-oh." Edward said simply. "Get Rebecca."  
Ezio and Anne lurched for the door. "Rebecca! Desmond! Help!"  
"Someone do something, or it's going to start flaming." Connor murmered.  
"I vote a Templar goes." Altaïr replied.  
"I'm about to throw something at you." Shay cautioned, not tearing his eyes away from the waffle maker.  
"You heard him, Cormac. Go on." Haytham backed away.  
"What? Me? That's nice, Grandmaster."  
"Wimps." Mary rolled her eyes and darted forward, grabbing a cup that sat on the counter. There was water in it.  
She shot Shay a look- The Templar looked away- and crept to the waffle maker, batting at the smoke. With a final war cry, she tossed the cup at it and jumped back, almost tripping over Jacob's leg (She then drew he foot back and kicked him in side in annoyance.).  
The waffle maker made an odd noise and the smoke disappeared. Everyone in the room gave a sign of relief and sat back.  
"Guys? What happened?" Desmond pushed the door open and froze, his eyesflicking to the waffle maker, then at the Templars and Assassins. "Oh, no...."  
"What?" Aveline followed his gaze. "Did we do something wrong?"  
"No, you're... if the waffle maker starts to smoke like that, you can just unplug it. Come on... costed Dad at least a hundred bucks."  
"A hundred bucks? I wish. Just need the ammunition and about four hours in the forest." Shay looked excited by the idea of hunting.  
"No, not those kind of bucks.... look, tell me who did it."  
Everyone pointed at Haytham and Shay.  
"What?" Haytham growled. "Oh, sure, blame the Templars."  
"Templars are the root of all societal problems." Ezio and Anne had come back in as well.  
"Yeah," Shay snorted, "Says the blade weilding killer who preys on people from above."  
"Sometimes below." Ziio added.  
"Good news is, we still have a toaster." Rebecca said, coming back into the kitchen. "Care to help me out?"  
"I will." Evie exclaimed.

***  
Five minutes later, Rebecca set out a plate of apples and warned them to stay away from the toaster before it popped, then left the room with Desmond.  
"Now where are they going?" Shay took an apple from the plate an bit into it, leaning against the counter by the toaster.  
Edward crept up beside him, intent on stealing his food a third time.  
"If you try to take this from me it will wind up lodged up your ass." Shay snarled at him.  
Edward pranced back and pretended to beat him up from a distance.  
Ezio and Anne sat on the floor, playing a game of Subway Surfers under Haytham's watchful eyes.  
"To the right. There, see? There are some coins over there." The Grandmaster said.  
"Typical Templar. Pleased to know something someone else doesn't." Connor glowered at him from where Aveline and Even were trying to wake Jacob up.  
"Splash him with water." Zio suggested.  
"Kick him in the hams. Always works for me." Edward trotted over and stood over Jacob. "Wake up, you little-"  
The toaster popped.  
Shay threw his apple into the air above him and flattened himself against the floor, until the fruit came back down and struck him on the head, startling him more.  
Haytham yelped and ducked behind the counter, pressing his back against the wall.  
Ziio gasped and crouched, her fists up.  
Connor and Aveline jumped and clung to each other, not realizing it.  
Edward brought his foot down hard on Jacob's knee, the spun around and punched the air.  
Anne wrapped her arms around Ezio, and Ezio puffed out his chest, making a fist and looping his free arm around Anne's shoulders.  
Altaïr dove under the table with a yowl, his eyes wide.  
Mary ducked under the table and shoved Altaïr out so she could fit, and the Assassin gave her a rude gesture.  
"Hey, guys, what happened, I heard the toaster pop and- I think Shay's passed out."  
"I'm awake!" Shay snapped, removing his arms from his head. "What was that?!"  
Desmond looked back at the door, where Shaun and Rebecca gazed back at him with a grin. "Oh, hell. The toaster popped, huh?"  
"What's a toaster, and why did it pop?" Ziio asked nervously.  
"It's what we're using to make your waffles." Rebecca stepped over Shay and removed two slightly burnt waffles. "You'll get used to it."  
"Get used to that?" Shay pushed himself up and picked up his apple. "I will not get used to what sounds like one of Benjamin Franklin's experiments."  
Shaun laughed. "Finally, someone else who gets that particular sentiment!"


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; It was my favorite, too :D  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Poor buddy, he'll be pissed at Edward.  
> PoisonHw; He didn't know it was there- Haytham tried (and failed) to warn him xD. Yep they love their waffles. At least Mary does. And Anne. And Ziio. And Arno.  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; If anyone wants more music I could add some ;)

After breakfast, Desmond pulled Shay aside and lowered his voice. "I need your spit."  
"You need my spit? Well, here, I don't mind spitting at your feet-"  
"No, no, like... so it in a cup or something."  
"Why?" Shay narrowed his eyes. "You're not experimenting on me, are you?"  
"Not really.... okay, to be honest, just a little experiment." Rebecca pushed Edward aside as he stumbled back from Jacob (The Assassin had woken up and was so pissed about his knee he needed Evie to restrain him.) and held up a paper cup. "Arno did it, too."  
"Where is he, anyway?" Haytham asked from behind her. Ziio tugged his ponytail, promoting a yelp from him.  
"I think he went upstairs." She liaghed and darted away as Haytham gazed after her, a look of disapproval tugging the corners of his mouth.  
Aveline and Mary held their arms out on the table, clasping their hands together. Altaïr stood over them, smiling.  
"Whoever wins gets my last waffle."  
"I really want that waffle." Aveline grinned wickedly at Mary.  
"Not as much as ah do."  
"I think Aveline will win it." Connor watched them from across the table, where he was happily eating an apple taken from the plate.  
"No way." Anne said. Ezio kept his arm thrown around Anne, and she was still fiddling with the radio. "Mary's got this."  
"Look, just spit for us." Desmond tapped Shay's shoulder.  
He wasn't able to explain the DNA requirement, but Rebecca wanted to find out more about how Arno reconized Shay. And thus.... Shay spat inn the cup, then crossed his arms.  
"Next one's on one of the Assassins."  
"Don't you dare." Ziio called from the table.

***  
Arno looked over the failing, at the fighting, cursing, talking, and laughing going on below. It had been more than three hours- he had wandered into William's room by accident and the man had snapped at him to go eat lunch with the others.  
Ezio spotted him from where he and Anne sat on the couch. "Come here, Arno! Shaun's making lunch."  
"Food!" Evie declared elatedly. Jacob sat next to her with his back to the wall, his arms crossed. He glared huffily at Edward, who lounged on the floor across the room.  
"What,so he making, anyway?" Arno asked. "I can smell it from here."  
"He said something about chicken nuggets." Ziio shrugged.  
"And French fries." Haytham added. "Whatever those are."  
"If they're French it's delicious." Aveline said, from where she, Mary, and Connor were sifting through the games. Shay was bent near them, a gray bandana with the red Templar symbol tied around his neck.  
Arno hated the sight of the man, although this time he suppressed it and trotted down, frowning. "Where's Altaïr?"  
"Helping Shaun get out the plates, is what he said." Mary held up a game that had an image of a tiny man in red clothes with blue sleeves. "Mario... isn't that an Italian name?"  
"Uncle?" Ezio looked excited. "Where?"  
"No, look." Mary showed it to him, and Ezio looked disappointed.  
"Don't worry about it." Anne muttered, and out a hand on his shoulder.  
"Hey!" Altaïr poked his head in. "Shaun wants everyone at the table, because apparently we make too many messes."  
"Where did Desmond go?" Jacob suddenly asked. "Rebecca, too."  
"Something about an Animal... or was in an Animo? Animi? Animus, that's it." Evie replied. "Come on, I'm hungry."

***  
Arno held up a narrow piece of potato. "I highly doubt this is French."  
"So this is what a chicken nuggets looks like." Jacob held up a small brown piece of chicken. "It does look like a gold nugget!"  
"A very large one." Ezio stated.  
"This tastes boring." Edward nibbled a French fry and held it away from him.  
"Nothing tastes boring, you idiot." Altaïr snapped.  
"What? And suddenly you're a schoolteacher?" Edward shot back.  
"Hey, show some respect, Edward." Mary said. "It tastes just fine."  
Edward's hand inched toward Shay's plate, grinning.  
"Ah-" Shay slammed his fist down on Edward's hand. "Not this time, slick."  
Edward hissed and drew back his hand.  
"Enough!" Shaun stood up from where he had been eating his share. "We have ketchup and hot sauce, and that's it."  
"What's hot sauce?" Haytham inquired.  
"It sounds hot." Aveline mused.  
"Maybe it's on fire, then?" Altaïr asked.  
"Ketchup is made of tomatoes and hot sauce is made of peppers." Shaun pulled open the fridge and leaned in, taking his eyes off the group momentarily.  
Arno took his chance and jumped up, grabbing Shay's bandana and ducking out of the room. Shay yowled and raced after him, and when Shaun turned back, holding the bottles of ketchup and hot sauce, two were missing.  
"Blame the Templars." Altaïr shook his head and bit into a French fry. Haytham snarled at him.  
"You're about to lose the ability to talk."  
Ziio slapped his arm. "No threatening, Haytham. Leave him alone."  
Aveline frowned and bit into a chicken nugget. "It doesn't taste like gold, but it doesn't taste quite like chicken, either."  
"This is the spicy one, just be aware." Shaun tossed the hot sauce onto the table, then the ketchup. "And that's the good one. You've been warned, men. And women."  
Mary grinned adventurously. "I want the spicy stuff."  
"But won't it hurt?" Aveline asked. "Everything this century is overpowered."  
"Nah." Edward reached up and took hold of the ketchup bottle, yanking it out of Altaïr's grasp. "It's worth it, especially if you've been to the West Indies."  
"The Spanish like spicy stuff." Anne commented. "By God? You'd think they'd relax."  
"So do the Italians." Ezio said pointedly.  
"You guys make good food. Those pizzas especially."Jacob smiled. "But it's us Brits with the best food."  
Connor and Ziio glared at him. "The British are fat bastards who seek more and more land each year." Connor growled.  
"Maybe that's sort of biased, Son. You're part English, you know." Haytham said.  
"Biased?" Connor snorted. "Just give me the ketchup, Edward."  
"I want to squirt someone with it." Edward made a gesture toward Evie with the ketchup bottle.  
Evie grabbed the bottle tip and jerked back, so Edward nearly fell off his chair.  
"Hey!" Mary backed.  
"Wait." Altaïr grabbed Ezio's arm. "Who wants to see a Templar burn?"  
"I'm right here, you know." Haytham snapped.  
"Wait, burn? Let's light him on fire." Ziio jerked a thumb at Haytham, giving him a sly wink.  
"No fires!" Shaun commanded. "We will not be burning anything or anyone."  
"Shaun!!" Rebecca's voice wafted down the stairs. "We need your help with the Animus!"  
"Fine, fine!" Shaun called up. "You all stay put, understand?"  
"Yes, Father." Mary rolled her eyes, and Shaun left the room.  
"Alright, here's what I meant." Altaïr explained. "Haytham, do you want to play a harmless prank on your lapdog?"  
"It had better be harmless." Haytham eyed his with annoyance. "That's my best hunter you're about to screw with."  
Connor growled at him.  
"Shay and Arno didn't learn what hot sauce was." Altaïr grinned. "Let's give them some hot sauce and claim it's ketchup."  
"I like that idea." Jacob nodded.  
"I'll go get them." Aveline slid back her chair and strode out of the room whole the others readied themselves for the prank.

***  
Arno was halfway between kneeing Shay in the stomach when Aveline showed up. She leaned on the doorway and nodded at them. "While you guys were fighting, Shaun showed his what hot sauce and ketchup was. The ketchup is the best part, and we want to show it to you."  
Shay glared at her suspiciously.  
"I guess I can try." Arno said hesitantly.  
"Well... fine. Just a little." Shay added.  
"Come on, then." Aveline led them back into the kitchen, and Altaïr help up a spoon with what he claimed was ketchup. Edward held out his to Arno.  
"Try it. It's good." He insisted.  
Shay took the spoon from Altaïr. "You're sure?"  
Ziio made a sound of exasperation. "Definitely."  
"Would I lie to you, Arno?" Ezio asked innocently. "Look into my handsome Italian eyes, and see the truth." Beside him, Anne suppressed a giggle.  
"Fine." Arno sighed. "But the Templar does it with me."  
Shay growled at him. "I'm going for it."  
"Wait." Arno held up a hand. "One, two, three."  
Both Assassin and Templar put the spoon in their mouths and swallowed, realizing too late the deception.  
Right away, Edward and Jacob erupted into laughter, and Ziio's smirk grew into a chuckle. Altaïr and Mary clapped each on the arm and used each other for support, coughing their stomachs while they laughed. Connor and Aveline met eyes and immediately both grinned, as though some secret joke had been passed between them. Evie, Ezio, and Anne all fell out of their chairs, sides and shoulder heaving with mirth.  
Arno's eyes widened and he swore in French, using what he could still feel of his tongue. He dropped open his mouth and yowled, shaking his head back and forth.  
Shay stuck his tongue out and pawed at it, kicking Haytham's chair with a look of anger. The series of noises he made sounded like muffled curses, but no one could be sure.  
Arno remembered the water spout (The kitchen sink) and dove for it, sticking his face and open mouth under the water. Shay caught on to what he was doing and pushed him out of the way, sighing with relief when the water hit his face. Arno grabbed his shoulder and pushed him aside, reclaiming the sink.  
"Thith ithn't fair! Grandmathter!" Shay groaned. He eyes landed on the snow outside and he dove for it, pushing open the glass door and dropping onto the snow, licking the ice crystals.  
"Half of what you're eating is dirt, Templar dog!" Ezio shouted, through laughter.  
Arno pulled away from the sink and stood, panting. "It burns." He moaned.  
"What happened in here?" William burst in and stared at the laughing group of Assassins and the Templar at the table, then his gaze went to Arno, and Shay, who still lay on his belly outside, licking the snow. "Don't tell me Shaun left the hot sauce out."


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; William always seems like That Guy to me. :)

Desmond sat up and groaned. "Damn, I get where Arno's coming from."  
Rebecca swiveled in the chair and shrugged. "Well, Shay hasn't done that yet. We know he felt kind of guilty about when you looked in his memories."  
He nodded. "Yeah, stayed with him up until Germain was killed."  
She looked back at the computer, where Shaun sat, gazing at the floor. "What's got your tongue?"  
"Arno never learned his name. Only recognized what he looked like, but Shay made it a point to keep his presence hidden from him."  
"He didn't do a very good job." Desmond said thoughtfully. "When I- Arno- was around eleven, Elise and I were messing around in one of the yards and he was off in the center, talking with one of the gardeners. I ran over to him and demanded to know why he was following me."  
"What did he do?" Rebecca asked, "That might be how Arno knows what he looks like so good."  
"He just stared at me and then walked away." Desmond shrugged. "I remember Elise threw a rock at him."  
Shaun chuckled, and Rebecca boxed his arm. "Not funny."  
"It is if you think about it."  
Desmond growled at him. "She was more pissed than I was."  
"Right." Rebecca added. "Wait, they're being awfully quiet. Either something went down or William's with them."  
Shaun paled. "I need to go down for a moment."  
"What happened? Why?" Desmond asked suspiciously. "Did you do something?"  
"No, no, I mean... well... I think I left the hot sauce out."  
"Oh, for fuck's sake." Desmond stood and went downstairs, his friends following him.  
A quick scan of the table showed two people missing, Arno and Shay. The remaining Assassins and Templar snickered and looked as though they had done something deemed horribly clever.  
Arno leaned over the counter with his open mouth positioned under the faucet. Desmond couldn't see where the other one was.  
Shaun grabbed the bottles of hot sauce and ketchup out of Altaïr's hands and tossed them into the fridge. "Where did William go?"  
Aveline pointed outside, through the glass door. "Outside."  
Edward and Jacob jostled each other with their elbows. "Just doing something."  
Rebecca and Desmond shared a look, then moved to the glass door.  
"Shaun, keep an eye on them and make sure Arno doesn't drown." Desmond called.  
Shaun bent over the counter and shut off the water, his eyebrow raised.  
Arno pawed the faucet and cursed at him in French, with made Aveline yelp and throw a chicken nugget at him.  
"You're going to drown." Shaun defended.  
Arno turned the faucet and resumed his position. "It burnth!"  
Outside, Rebecca and Desmond found an exasperated William crouched by Shay, who lay on his belly, his head bobbing up and down as he licked the snow repeatedly.  
"Okay, him I understand." Rebecca raised her hands. "But Arno."  
William slapped Shay's back. "Come on, get up, big guy, your mouth is fine."  
"It burnth, you idiot." The Irishman snapped, sitting up.  
"You know, milk is more effective." Desmond supplied.  
Shay shot to his feet and opened the glass door, peering in. "Arno, Dethmond thaid milk'll help!"  
They could hear the Frenchman give a joyous shout, and the laughter coming from the Assassins and Templar seated at the table.  
"Hey! Hey, quiet! All of you!" Shaun barked.  
William rolled his eyes and stood, brushing snow from his pants. "I have good news. Abstergo's being looked into on behalf of the disappearance of Olivier, and they're inability to keep their inventory-" A gesture to the Assassins and Templars inside- "They're being told to shut down operations in a few days to a week. It's temperary, only twenty four hours, but there's our window of time to get in there and drop these Yahoos back in their time zones."  
"Obnoxious children is more like it." Desmond said.  
Rebecca frowned at him. "They're scared and lost and confused and hopelessly alone, and there's no one else from their respective time zones but a select few."  
"Still... who knew Altaïr had a sense of humor." Desmond replied.  
"Alright, listen." William held his hands up. "We need to contemplate out way inside, and it may involve all of us dressing as employees."  
"Us? As in ancestors and rogues?" Rebecca squeaked. "Do you know how hard that will be?"  
"Um, very. But I know a certain guy who can hack his way into just about anything." William held up a hand.  
Rebecca gave him a disapproving look. "And by 'certain guy', you mean Shaun, huh?"  
"Who told you that?"  
"Because he can hack his way into anything."  
"Alright, you got me." William crossed his arms, then frowned, looking past Desmond's shoulder. "Incoming!"  
Edward had apparently stolen Shay's cup of milk (He really liked taking Templar food, of seemed) and had raced for the glass door, thinking Shay had left it open.  
With a loud bang his head hit the glass and he slid down, the cup dropping to the floor.  
Shay stood behind him, stumbling onto his back and laughing. Soon everyone else inside joined in, except Shaun.  
"Edward! Look what you did to the bloody floor! Edward? Edward? Oh, he's out, isn't he?" An exasperated sigh.  
Jacob's voice added to the mix. "There's my payback! Finally, someone else hit the door!"  
Rebecca turned back to William. "We need to put up some sort of warning sign that says 'Beware of Glass Door."  
"That's two helmets we need now." Desmond laughed.  
William moaned. "They're wrecking my house and they've only been here three days."  
"Has it been three? Thought it was two." Rebecca frowned.  
"I have no idea. Every hour is three hours with them." William replied.  
"Too bad they're going to forget all this."  
"That's not a good thing. For once, the Templars and Assassins are working together." Rebecca exclaimed.  
"No, the divide is still there." William said sadly. "Always will be."  
"Okay, Dad, they're all laughing. At the same time. Templar and Assassin alike." Desmond told him. "And when they're laughing, there's no divide."


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Oh, the Kenways- Ziio had no clue what she got herself into.  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; Mariachi!! xD Not sure how hot, you can definitely be creative- Arno and Shay both ate spoonfuls, so even the mild stuff would be pretty funny to see.
> 
> I think I'll go back to the different blocks for different Assassins and Templars, I drifted away from that way of writing. Unless it makes the chapters a bit lengthy, then I'll probably not continue that.

The rest of the day passed without another fight, although there were several attempts on Arno's part to goad Shay into what Shaun referred to as a no good bloody pissing match.  
Finally, around eleven, the last of the Assassins and Templars finally drifted off. Arno and Mary had gone back to their previous positions, giving each other the slightest awknowledgement before falling asleep. Haytham and Ziio dominated the couch again- at first, Shay took up one third of it, curled up with his feet over the edge, until Ziio shoved him off onto the floor- and Connor fell asleep on the floor in the center of the living room. Aveline had originally been sleeping beside him, but ended up with his arm on her shoulders and one of his legs hooked around hers (She didn't push him off primarily because he was sleeping, but also because she found it a rather comfortable- and likeable, although she'd never admit it- position.)  
Anne slept propped against the wall, with Ezio sitting beside her. At some point in the night the young man shifted and moved his head just enough that it came to rest against her shoulder. Edward no longer trusted Jacob- he was growing increasingly convinced that the Assassin was pure evil- and huddled up on the bed in one of the rooms upstairs.  
Jacob discovered to his delight that the room Edward was in locked from the outside and flipped the lock, then slept with his back to the door despite repeated warnings from his twin. Evie fell asleep directly across from him, her back against the closet, her chin to her chest,ready to keep her (idiot) brother safe should Edward awaken.  
Altaïr snuck into Desmond's room and flopped onto the floor, curling up in a ball, content that the modern day Assassin would block any incoming surprises by the Assassins and Templars.  
Desmond- who was sleeping on the bed at the time- naturally had no idea his ancestor was there and would not protect him from incoming attacks from the Assassins and Templars.  
Shaun slept with his hand on the computer, jumping awake each time someone sent an email and it made painting noise. Rebecca fell asleep in a random room, watching a video about how a newer version for the Animus could be available soon- it was quite boring.  
William brought a kitchen chair into the room, to make sure none of his ancestors 'wrecked a single damned thing' again.

***  
Connor was the first to awaken.  
He felt comfortable, until he opened his eyes.  
Connor eased himself away from Aveline, forcing the temperary flutter of his heart to cease and stood for a moment, enjoying the quiet. No arguing, no Father, no curses. He padded around the room, pausing to chuckle at each of their locations. He made his way to the outside, then stopped and stood in the snow, one eyebrow lifted toward the cloudy gray skies. He wondered if he could live here, in the future. It definately seemed worth it. His mother, Ziio... she was here with him. She wasn't dead. He smiled, at peace with himself. There would be no Charles Lee in this time. He could live the rest of his life for all Connor cared.  
"Now what are you doing out here?"  
Connor froze and turned. "Aveline?"  
She nodded and closed the glass door. "It's cold out, why don't you come back inside?"  
"Well... um... did I wake you?"  
"No."  
So she didn't know about that awkward position. At least, as far as he knew.

***  
"Oh... I'm coming back in." He held open the door for her while she stepped in, then pulled open the fridge. "I wonder if there's anything to eat."  
"I want something made of meat." Aveline declared. "All I see is a bunch of fruit."  
"Maybe when William and Rebecca wake up they'll make us something." Connor motioned to the thing Rebecca called a stove. "She told us not to operate that."  
"True." She nodded. He had a point. They weren't supposed to touch it. "Well, I'll have an apple, then. You?" She held out one of the fruits to Connor.  
He smiled- It took a moment for her to tear her gaze away from his eyes- and accepted it. "We should eat these in here."  
Aveline frowned. "Why?"  
She didn't have to wonder long. As soon as the words had left her mouth, Shay stepped into the kitchen, yawning. "Which one of you has an apple?"  
"What is your fetish for apples?" Connor rolled his eyes.  
"It's not a fetish, it's a preference." Shay gave an exasperated sigh. "Get it right."  
Aveline sensed a fight brewing. "Here." She threw her apple at Shay- sure to aim as high above his head as possible without him suspecting her dislike for him- and reached for another.  
"Thank you." Shay disappeared into the other room.  
"Now that that's taken care of...." Connor looked at her with steady eyes, and she trailed off.  
"Now that that's taken care of what?" He asked.  
"Oh." She blinked. These weren't feelings she was used to. "Nothing."

***  
"Haytham." Ziio muttered, tapping his chin with her foot. He stirred. "Haytham. Wake up."  
He pawed at her feet. "Five more minutes."  
There was the crunch of an apple and she looked up, alerted by the sound of food. "Shay?"  
The Templar eyed her, chewing slowly. At least he kept his mouth closed,unlike half the men in Boston, excluding Haytham. "Yes..?" He asked when he was swallowed.  
"Where did you get that."  
"Kitchen. Connor and Aveline."  
She smiled. Ratonhnhaké:ton was Connor, and this Aveline girl was someone he was interested in... she almost laughed, remembering their positions from the night before.  
"Haytham." She kicked his ear, just enough to surprise him.  
"Ow!" He jumped and nearly fell off the couch. "Alright, I'm awake. What, Ziio?"  
"Our son is in the next room talking with a girl." She drew out the word girl, a smile pulling at her lips. He grinned back.  
"Is he, now?"  
"Aye." Shay finished his apple and turned to throw away the core. "Come see for yourself."

***  
Shay poked his head in and grinned. "Halloo!" The kind of annoying, how-d'ye-do lilt he'd picked up from Gist. Haytham had complained about it once, and that had been the end of that. Now, however as a different time and different place. And... it maintained his ties to his seafaring friend.  
Connor scowled at him. "Go away."  
"'Afraid not."  
"I said, go away."  
"I am not going anywhere."  
"You will with this apple stuck up your a-"  
"That's rude." Haytham said. He put his hands on the counter and smiled. Ziio stood behind him, grinning. "And my best Hunter you're talking to."  
Shay shuddered to finish the though of where Connor was going with that sentence- Assassins were downright painful- and threw his apple core away, then stood with his arms folded. This was about to get funny.

***  
"No one here likes each other." Aveline said simply. Haytham felt Ziio grip his elbow. God, he had missed her.  
"There's a certain way he's looking at you." He pressed.  
"No there is not!" Connor barked, his voice rough.  
Aveline blushed and concealed the motion by throwing her apple at Shay. The Templar caught it and finished it happily. "Well, I don't know what you're thinking."  
"Ah, Ratonhnhaké:ton!" Ziio proclaimed. Those words were followed by a string of Mohawk that Haytham failed to understand.  
Finally Connor's cheeks reddened. "Mother!"  
"It's the truth." She smiled.  
"You're sure you didn't remember the position you and Aveline were in last night?" Haytham cocked his head.  
Despite how it probably sounded to Connor and Aveline, both Haytham and Ziio knew they had just helped a little spark turn into a flame.  
Connor darted out to the room, and Aveline followed.  
Haytham, Ziio, and Shay stood for a moment, then burst out laughing.

***  
Ezio ran along the rooftops, the setting Firenze sun at his back. He was running from everything. From everyone. His father, his brothers, their hanging. The sounds of the wood giving way and their sharp gasps-  
And now he was being chased by the guards. He tripped and stumbled, losing his balance on the rooftop.  
Immediately he began to fall, a harsh scream tearing from his throat....

***  
Anne turned her head and enclosed her hand around Ezio's. He was muttering and crying out, and she was worried for him.  
Ezio suddenly squeezed her hand, gasping.  
"Hey, are you alright?" She asked, craning her neck to rest her chin on his ear. "You're making noises."  
He gave a soft chuckle, but she could tell he had been terrified. "What kind of noises, Anne?"  
she smiled. This Mentor fellow had a good sense of humor. "Well, you sounded a little nervous."  
"I was not." His voice as filled with hurt pride. "I was just.. having a bad dream."  
"You're alright now." She looked up at the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen, in time to see Ziio, Haytham, and Shay crumple into a single heap, kicking their feet and laughing. Out stormed a red- faced Aveline and Connor.  
Ezio straightened so fast he hit his head on the wall. "What happened?"  
"Father happened." Connor buried his head in a pillow.

***  
Edward sat up and stretched, then rolled out of bed and sprang up, ready to barrel through the door and surprise the unlucky fellow behind it.  
Wait a minute.  
He frowned and tried the door handle. "Odd."  
It was locked.  
Then he realized.  
"Jacob fucking Frye!!!"

***  
Jacob jumped, then his eyes widened. Across from him, Evie sat with her arms crossed, smiling.  
"Don't give me that look." He griped. "Evie...."  
"You have ten seconds to flee the vicinity." She laughed and got up, standing by the door with her hand on the lock. He beat his fists on her knee.  
"Evie! Can't we talk about this?"  
"Eight, seven..."  
Shit.  
She was serious.  
He finally scrambled to his feet and shot like a bolt down the stairs, tripping on his feet.  
"One!"

***  
Evie grinned and threw the door open, allowing Edward to barrel through.  
"He went downstairs!"  
"You're bloody evil!" Jacob shouted up the stairs. "Don't ever ask the Rooks for a favor again!"  
Evie laughed. She loved her brother, but it was funny to see him in non- lethal situations. "I own them, Jacob! Now, get him, Edward!"  


***  
Arno stood and yawned broadly, wondering if it was worth it to go and build another fort today. Maybe it wasn't all worth it.  
Who cared?  
He smiled and rescue down, to wake Mary. "You want to go wake Altaïr up?"  
Mary yawned and smiled. "Let me open my eyes first, Jaysus.... alright, aye, let's go."

***  
They crept down the hall, Arno on her heels. "His scar on his mouth should do just fine."  
"Aye." She nodded. "Let's do this, man. Ready?"  
Arno held out a hand. "Wait, hear something?"  
She froze. Laughter downstairs. "Ach, It's just the others enjoying themselves."  
"That came out wrong." Arno snickered.  
She punched him and pulled open the door. "Let us awaken the Assassin."

***  
Altaïr failed to hear the door open.  
He slumbered on. Desmond would keep him safe.  
Someone suddenly scratched his scar, their hand passing over his mouth.  
He clamped his teeth together, but not before a high pitched giggle escaped his mouth.  
"Stop." He muttered.  
The hand scratched the scar again, and this time a laugh bubbled up from his throat. "Who- who the hell is-"  
There was the rush of footsteps and sound of the door closing again. If he listened closely, he could hear two people running down the stairs.  
He filled his lungs, waited a moment, then bellowed his anger.  
"Mary and Arno!!!"


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcdFireFrenzy; ;) You are very correct, my bro, those four are excellent prankster duos!  
> RavenclawAssasin; Sorry about that, mate.  
> PoisonHw; Yep, Evie is the more calculated of the twins, the more, well, for lack of better words, meticulously Assassin-ly (I don't think that's a word) evil.  
> AquilaTempestas; Why thank you very much! :D I update usually every night, so they're quite quick- Jacob looks to me to be brash and easily looses his patience. Edward at the beginning of Black Flag: Brash and impatient. It's a good mix for funny fights.  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; That is the best formula for a test ever- I wonder what the result is ;)  
> dani; Those two really should have stayed together. Damn. I may end up writing a fan fiction where Ziio survived now.

Desmond threw a pillow at his ancestor. "Shut up! I am trying to sleep!"  
The pillow shot back into his face. "Those-" High pitched giggle-"Those bastards-"  
"Go get them, then," Desmond grumbled. "And quit yelling."  
The Assassin scrambled to his feet and raced out of the room, still forcing down chuckles.  
"No way I came from him." Desmond flipped onto his belly and tried to continue sleeping.

***  
Altaïr looked around the hallway, Desmon'd room, clear. Rebecca's room, clear. Shaun's room, clear. He turned the corner and froze, remembering the study.  
He entered it and looked around, then stopped as he heard the door creak.  
Mary gave a surprised gasp as he turned around and threw open the door. "Arno! Run!"  
The Frenchman sprang up from behind the chair and grabbed Mary before she could realize it, throwing her over his shoulder and streaking from the room.  
They were not escaping Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's wrath this time.  
He swore and chased them, down the hallway.  
Arno tripped and stumbled, and Mary yelped as he dropped her.  
"Hey! Altaïr, now wait just a minute, man, we can talk about this." She scrambled backward, onto Arno, who slowly started to get to his feet.  
Altaïr smiled and crouched. "You messed with the wrong Assassin." He scratched the scar on her face and she swatted him away.  
"That hurts-" She hiccuped and swore.  
"Don't tell me." Arno deadpanned behind her. "That scar makes you hiccup."  
Altaïr laughed, and Mary crossed her arms. "It's- not funny."  
"It's kind of funny." Altaïr stood and flexed his fingers. "Your turn, Arno."

***  
Mary watched Arno's eyes widen, and watched him scramble to his feet, leaping away and darting into the next room. She opened her mouth to warn him that room belonged to Desmond, but hiccuped before she could speak.  
Altaïr stepped around her and vanished into the next room. "Everything is permitted!"

***  
Arno threw himself into the closet and held the door shut, fighting back laughter.  
Altaïr knocked the closet door. "Let me in."  
"Never!" He proclaimed in French.  
Altaïr dropped his voice. "You sound like Robert."  
"Like who?"  
"Never mind- get out of there and be quiet about it. This is Desmond's room."  
Arno slowly pulled open the door. "Oh, merde."  
"Merde is right. Come on."  
Armo held up his hands. "Oh, no, I am not trusting you again."

***  
Jacob raced into the kitchen- wondering why Haytham, Ziio, and Shay were laughing and beating the floor with their fists- and searched it hurriedly. No door, nothing to hde behind- hold a moment.  
Could he hide in the fridge?  
There was no time to waste.  
He stepped over Ziio's foot and pulled the silver box open, then stepped in and pulled it shut after him.  
He heard Edward's footsteps and a yelp of surprise as he tripped over Haytham, and heard Evie help him look around.  
"Where the fuck did your brother go?" Edward growled. "Ziio, can you tell me?"  
"I wasn't paying attention."  
"Haytham?"  
"Nothing, Father."  
"Shay?"  
"Fuck yourself."  
"Why, you little-"

***  
Edward hefted Shay up and pushed him against the wall. "You think you're so great because you're a Templar?"  
Shay clicked his tongue and smiled. "You deserved that."  
"Edward, if you're going to mess him up, do it after we find Jacob." Evie sounded worried. "I don't know where he is."  
"Wait a minute." Haytham pushed himself into a sitting position and held up his hand. "Look in the fridge."  
"Why?" Edward asked, not releasing Shay.  
"I think I heard it open."  
"You think."  
"Fine, Father, I heard it open."  
"I'll kneecap you if you're lying."  
"I am well aware."

***  
Haytham stood and helped Ziio up, who was still chuckling. "Let's make sure we didn't royally screw with his love life."  
"I don't like kings." She said. "And what love life?"  
"That's mean." Shay stumbled to the chair and sat down, watching Edward creep toward the fridge door.  
Haytham nodded to him. "You, sir, are causing way too much trouble."  
Shay looked mortified. "I apologize, Grandmaster."  
"You can apologize by not speaking for the rest of the day." He had always wondered if Shay was so loyal he would actually put a cork in it for an entire day.  
In response, the Hunter threw up his hands and stood, a universal motion of 'Fine, have it your way'.  
Evie grinned. "This should be funny-"  
"Shhh!" Edward hissed, wrapping his hands around the fridge door.

***  
Evie gasped in surprise as the door flew open, revealing a shivering Jacob. His eyes widened and he swore, jumping away and ducking for the outside-  
"Will someone please put a warning sign?" Edward palmed his forehead as Jacob's head struck the class and he sank to the floor. "By God."  
"Hey, that's my brother you're talking to." She kneeled beside him, an idea taking root. "Anyone know where a pencil or something is?"  
Shay gave her a questioning look, and Haytham and Ziio shrugged.  
"No." Edward said.  
"Damn. Look around. I want to draw on his face."  
"I call first drawing, then." Edward snickered. "I'm making a di-"  
"Father!" Haytham said sharply, "That's disgusting!"  
Shay pointed at Edward and laughed, and Ziio shot him a look. "I'm guessing he thinks your being insulted is funny."  
"Does he now?"' Edward asked.  
Shay made a terrified squeak at the back of his throat and raced out of the room, and they could hear Ezio asking what he was so afraid of.  
Evie turned Jacob onto his back. "Hey! Go find me something to write with if you want to do this."

***  
Ziio looked on the counters, Haytham looked in bookshelves, and Edward looked in cabinets.  
It took a while, but Ziio finally came across a black thing that said 'Washable marker.'  
Well, it was washable, at least.  
She hurried to Evie and handed it to her, feeling Haytham stand behind her.  
Edward leaned on the wall and watched them, chuckling the entire time. "This will be good."  
"Let's make him a French mustache." Ziio suggested. She'd always thought those were funny looking.  
"Good idea." Haytham crouched beside her.  
Evie grinned wickedly. "Let's do it."

***  
Shay flopped into the couch, wondering why Aveline stood in the corner, nervously crossing and uncrossing her arms and looking at Connor every now and then. Connor had curled up and buried his face in a pillow, although his sides were shaking with what he assumed to be laughter.  
"What's wrong, Shay?" Anne asked. "Cat got your tongue?"  
Shay rolled his eyes and waved a hand toward the kitchen. Haytham did.  
"He's too stupid to talk." Ezio sneered. "You know, like all Templars."  
Shay gave him an unconvinced look. In your dreams, you little bastard.  
Anne frowned. "Alright, then."  
Shay looked between Aveline and Connor, trying to make a clear message. What's with them?  
"What, do you not know their names?" Ezio asked. "Connor, Aveline. See?"  
Shay made an exasperated noise at the back of his throat. No! No... You idiot.  
"Oh, we're growling like dogs, are we?" Anne questioned.  
Shay closed his eyes and grabbed his chest, purposely sliding onto the floor from the couch. Your stupidity... it's... killing me....  
"I think he's dead." Shay could hear Anne's smile.

***  
Aveline watched the exchange, then nervously glanced at Connor. Had he picked up on anything?  
No, no, she decided. He probably hadn't. His parents were so... so..  
Normal, she realized. Together, they made a good pair. And at least they had a sense of humor.  
Still. They were very daring, messing with Connor like that.

***  
Connor chuckled into the pillow, feeling like a fool. Oh, of course his mother would do that. Of course Haytham would.  
And this nervous laughter was no help, either.  
He peeked over at Aveline. No way she would look at him the same again.  
He pulled the pillow down and looked on the floor, pointing to Shay.  
The Templar lay sprawled out with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.  
Connor smiled and stood, bringing his foot up to stomp on Shay's belly.

***  
Ezio nudged Anne's shoulder and motioned to what Connor was about to do.  
She snickered and laced her fingers with his. "Wait for it...."  
Connor jerked his foot down, connecting with the Templar's stomach.  
Shay's eyes flew open and he rolled onto his side, gripping his stomach and yelping through closed lips.  
"Let's face it, you had that coming." Aveline said.  
"That's what dick Templars get." Ezio smirked.  
"Watch out, he might puke." Anne warned Connor.  
Shay lifted his head and narrowed his eyes at Connor, slamming his closed fists together. That was not hard to glean meaning from.  
"Run, Connor, run!" Aveline shouted.

***  
Anne watched Connor lope up the stairs, and watched Shay pull himself to his feet and follow, a little slower.  
Beside her, Ezio stood and stretched. "Oi. Let's go find out what the others are doing in the kitchen."  
Aveline made her way to the couch. "You two to do that. I want to see if this remote thing will work without Haytham's magic."  
"It's not magic, it's skill!" Haytham's voice echoed from the kitchen.  
"That depends on how you see it." Anne called back.  
"Valid point!"  
"Stop yelling back and forth to each other!" Edward suddenly snapped.  
"Alright, Father!" The sarcastic raise of his voice was enough of make Aveline, Ezio, and Anne laugh. The pained yelp that followed made them laugh harder.  
"No, really, what are they doing in there?" Ezio asked again. "Jacob went in and he never came out."  
"Oh, hell." Anne groaned. She had an inkling as to what they were doing. "I think he hit the glass door again."


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcdFireFrenzy; They hate me, too, you are for sure not alone xD  
> AquilaTempestas; Pirates will be pirates, and they do tend to have... well, not the purest of minds ;)  
> PoisonHw; I plan on each scarred Assassin orTemplar having their own quirk, but I don't have much ideas, so suggestions are much appreciated! Shay isn't the quietest person around, so this will definitely be difficult....

William didn't want to wake up. His ancestors so far hadn't broken anything, but they were being obnoxiously loud (He noticed Shay had stopped speaking, but couldn't tell why, because he had only been awake for the last two minutes.) And didn't seem to care he was sleeping in the living room.  
Edward, Ziio, Haytham and Evie suddenly raced into the room, stifling laughter.  
What had they done now?  
Okay.  
Now he had to wake up.

***  
Ezio sat down next to Anne just as the two Kenways and their partners in crime ran in, covering their mouths.  
Haytham ducked behind the couch, pulling Ziio after him, Evie hid behind the William's chair- the man was beginning to wake up- and Edward cowered near the stairs.  
Aveline lifted am eyebrow. "What are you four doing?"  
"Can't talk now," Evie said, "Wait for it.... wait for it...."  
Jacob's voice was heard from the kitchen. "What happened? Evie? Edward?"  
"What did you do?" William hissed. Ezio shook his head.  
"It wasn't me, look at the Kenways."  
Haytham silenced him with a pillow thrown over the couch.  
Jacob wandered into the room, holding his head. "I've a head for ten, damn it."  
Anne grabbed Ezio's arm and covered her mouth, her laughter barely hidden. Aveline's mouth dropped open, her mirth evident. Even William had to conceal laughter.  
Ezio realized what they found was so funny. The four that now hid from Jacob's view had drawn a very obvious French mustache, and on his right cheek someone (He guessed Edward.) had taken the liberty to draw what appeared to be what Ezio had always prided himself on, a di-  
"What are you laughing at?" Jacob asked.

***  
He shrugged. "Come on, it's not funny, guys."  
"Hey, um... why don't you go look in a mirror...." Aveline suggested.  
"What? Why? Did the glass door leave a bruise on my forehead?" He rapped his forehead. No pain.  
"Yeah, we can't explain it, go- just go look." William chuckled.  
He threw up his hands. "What happened, damn it!"  
He looked up to the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Arno, Mary, Altaïr, Connor, and Shay all stood at the top, staring at him with their mouths open.  
"What. Happened?" He growled, growing a little worried. Evie had done something, he knew it.  
Shay burst out laughing, pointing at Jacob's face.  
Arno lifted an eyebrow and pursed his lips. "Real clever. He's not even French."  
"Excuse me?" Jacob demanded. He swore and left the room, searching for the nearest bathroom.

***  
Evie crouched behind the chair, her stomach hurting, she was laughing so hard.  
About one minute later, she heard it. "EEEVIIIIEEE!!!!!"  
Haytham and Ziio stumbled out from behind the couch, beating the floor with their fists.  
William shook his head. "I would start running, right now, Evie."  
She sprang up and darted up the stairs, shoving through Arno and Altaïr. "Out of my way!" She pushed Shay aside- the Templar nearly fell down the stairs- and threw herself in the nearest room, locking the door after herself.

***  
Edward lost it when Jacob practically flew past him up the stairs, grabbing Shay and coming close to hurling him down the stairs (The second time, judging by Shay's obvious exasperation.).  
Mary leaned against the banister so the British Assassin could shoot past her, then reached up and smacked Edward's arm.  
"Ow!" He exclaimed. "What the hell was that for?"  
"A dick? Really?"  
"A dick for a dick." He smirked at her, and she rolled her eyes.  
"What are you, twelve?"  
"Maybe a little older."

***  
Arno wasn't necessarily insulted by Evie's drawing of a French mustache on her English brother, he thought it was rather hysterical.  
"For fuck's sake, why didn't anyone tell me?" He laughed. "I would have helped."  
Altaïr shrugged. "Now I have an idea of what to do to all who piss me off."  
"Uh, no, because now I am hiding every single marker in this house." William declared.  
"We shall find a way!" Arno swept his arm behind his back as though he had a cape.  
"Of course we will." Altaïr smirked. "We are Assassins!"  
Shay smacked the back of Altaïr's head and growled.  
Connor turned on him instantly. "Touch any one of us, and it will be the last thing you do, are we clear?"  
Shay gave him a rude finger gesture.  
"Alright, really?" Connor scowled. "It is on."

***  
Shay realized instantly that Connor wasn't joking and took the stairs two at a time, landing on the banister- nearly crushing Edward's foot in the process- with a loud boom. He looked behind him as Connor took a flying leap and landed on his shoulder, bringing them both down against the carpet.  
Shay hissed and squirmed beneath Connor's wait. Get off me!  
The Native Assassin smiled. "Aha, can't speak, can we?"  
Altaïr appeared over his shoulder. "Scratch his scar!"  
What? No way in hell am I going to let you do that again. Hey! Stop it! Connor-  
Shay sneezed and snapped at Connor's fingers with his teeth.  
"I wouldn't mess with those teeth, son." Haytham said.  
Altaïr's eyes wandered to Ezio, who watched the exchange, occasionally bursting into giggles because of some joke Anne mist have told.  
"Hey." He nudged Connor's arm, and Shay arched his back, trying to buck the Assassin off. Fine, I give up. Damn you, Connor.  
"What, Altaïr?" Connor asked.  
"Let's try Ezio's scar."  
The Italian's eyes widened. "Not me!"  
"Yes!" Aveline pumped her fist. "Him!"  
Connor grinned and eased himself off Shay, kicking him in the stomach for good measure. Oh, now it's even more personal than before.  
He rested on the floor for a moment before deciding that that little patch of warmth on the carpet- the sun leaked through the shades and felt quite good- was too nice to move away from.

***  
Altaïr slid his eyes over to Anne, and she nodded. They both clasped their hands around Ezio's arms, holding him down while Connor approached.  
"Connor, don't do this." The Italian pleaded.  
Edward barked a laugh. "Do it!"  
"Be gentle." Ziio said.  
"Forget gentle." Mary grinned. "Wait, is Shay dead?"  
The Templar kicked his foot and smiled.  
Ezio began to thrash, and Altaïr held him down tighter. "Connor, hurry up!"  
Connor reached over and scratched Ezio's scar, smiling.  
Ezio fought for a few seconds. "Hey-"  
His eyes closed and he slumped forward.  
"Don't tell me you just killed him." William moaned.  
"No, wait." Haytham crawled over and lifted Ezio's head. The Assassin was still breathing, definitely.  
Altaïr chuckled. "We just put him to sleep."  
"You're certain?" Ziio scurried over.  
"Is he really sleeping?" Edward and Mary shuffled down the remaining stairs and moved in for a closer look.  
"Yeah." Aveline answered.  
Shay lifted his head raised both eyebrows, in an expression Altaïr couldn't read.  
"So, let me get this straight, Mary hiccups, Altaïr laughs, Shay sneezes, and Ezio falls asleep." Connor said.  
"This is priceless." Mary said. "Wonder what happens to Edward and Arno."  
The two Assassins looked at each other, then ran.  
"After them!" Altaïr called.

***  
Anne watched them go. Everyone but Aveline, William and Shay went. Aveline persuaded William to turn the T.V on, and Shay had found a little patch of sun he apparently liked, because he curled up and fell asleep.  
She stayed by Ezio, wondering how long it would be before he woke up. Not long, she hoped.  
This place was rather dull without him.

***  
Aveline peered up at the T.V, which played some sort of show William called Family Guy.  
"Are you easily offended?" He asked.  
"No, why?"  
"You may find this funny or insulting."  
"A surprising amount of things are both, William."  
This Family Guy thing apparently followed the life of a man named Peter Griffin and a disfunctional family.  
In the end she was left with more questions than answer about this new world, and more than a few ways to insult someone than she'd hoped to know.

***  
Haytham lay on his belly, watching that show William called Family Guy. He was lying there more because Ziio was next to him than any interest in the T.V.  
She would occasionally scowl and mutter something in Mohawk about insolent jokes, and he mostly agreed.  
From what he could hear when Arno and Edward weren't racing back and forth avoiding capture from the other Assassins- At some point Shay had lifted his head and snarled at them like a lion, and this actully scared them into silence- the show as quite insulting.  
Albeit funny.

***  
Ziio finally stood up and crossed her arms. "How can you watch this? Let's find something else."  
"How about Spongebob? Or World's Dumbest?" William gave Aveline the remote. "Here, you pick. I'm going to make breakfast."  
"Haytham...." Aveline waved the remote.  
"I'm on it." He pushed himself up and poked the buttons on the remote. "What should we watch?"  
"What's a Spongebob?" Ziio asked. She pictured a sponge and a man named Bob.  
"Well, it's pretty much a Sponge named Bob."  
Oh.  
Close.

***  
Mary almost caught him. She laughed and grabbed Arno's wrist. "Come on, man, what are you afraid of?"  
"Wait!" Edward, who had been ahead of all of them, froze at the top of the stairs. "Do you smell that?"  
Mary took a deep breath. "Wait, is that-"  
"Food!" Altaïr turned and disappeared into the kitchen.


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AquilaTempestas; I can just see their reactions!  
> salanaland; *Chuckle*  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Your hunch isn't far off....  
> Allspark5101; Never heard of Drunk History, I'll look into it.  
> dani; xD Lots of things! Although I thank Frenzy and salanaland for their help with Edward and Haytham.

William sighed when his ancestors barged into the room, mouths open. They were clearly hungry, but there was no way in hell he was giving them his egg omelet. "I am not feeding you."  
"But it smells so good." Edward groaned, "What are you making?"  
"Eggs, ah think." Mary pulled open the pantry and studied its contents. "There's nothing to eat!"  
"Oh, yes, there is," William said, "Have some cereal."  
"Some what?" Arno asked.  
"Cereal. You put milk in it." William reiterated.  
"That sounds disgusting." Altaïr peered over Mary's shoulder, frowning.  
"No, guys- okay, go sit at the table. I'll make each of you some cereal. Edward, go get the others."  
"I am not helping the Templars get food."  
"Then help the Assassins. The Templars will figure it out on their own."  
"Thank you." Edward disappeared into the other room.

***  
"William's making breakfast, who wants some?" Edward poked his head in. No Templars, he growled to himself.  
"I want some-"  
"Not you, Templar. I'm taking to Ziio, Ezio, Anne, and Aveline."  
On the floor, Shay stretched and glared at him. Edward gave him a rude finger gesture.  
"I'm hungry." Ziio declared. She put a hand on Hayrham's shoulder. "Maybe next time."  
"This is childish, Father." Haytham groaned, as the three mentioned women left the room into the kitchen. Ezio continued sleeping.  
"Is it, now?" Edward grinned. "Please, one day without food won't kill either of you."  
"Say that to Mr. Apple Lover over there." Haytham jerked his thumb at Shay, and the Hunter sat up and leered at Edward.  
He rolled his eyes and turned his back. "Hang the both of you."  
"Excuse me?!?"

***  
Shay flipped onto his belly and scowled, then flicked his gaze to Haytham. Now what?  
The Grandmaster shook his head. "Don't look at me like that."  
Shay growled.  
"Watch your mouth, or this silence will continue till tomorrow."  
He widened his eyes and sruck out his lower lip in the best kicked puppy look he could muster. But Haythaaaaaam....  
"Cormac, if I have to go in there and beat my father up to feed you, I will, but not while we're surrounded by Assassins."  
He huffed and stood, feeling boxed in. No words. This was terrible. But the Grandmaster had ordered something and he would follow faithfully.  
Haytham sat back against the couch and toyed with the remote. "Ziio wanted to watch that SpongeBob- what the hell?"  
Shay looked at the T.V, at the abrupt sound of children laughing and high pitched singing. What the hell was right. He ever his hand at the T.V. What is this?  
Haytham frowned. "Something called Teletubbies."  
Shay's eye widened as he watched big furry people start running around the screen, singing about love and happiness. He threw up his hands and made a whining noise. Change it! This is creepy.  
"I know it is, quit whining." Haytham turned the T.V off with a press of a button. "There, see?"  
Shay relaxed and nodded. Thank you, Grandmaster.

***  
Haytham sighed. Now he was bored. Well, he could always get Shay to climb on top of the T.V or something. He was loyal to the point of hilarity.  
Shay regarded him with a look of questioning.  
"Well, now we can sneak in and see if there's anything to eat." He shrugged. "Unless you have a better idea."  
Shay held up his hands and shrugged, shaking his head.  
"Good." He stood and peered into the kitchen. Edward, Anne, Arno, Ziio, Connor, Altaïr, Mary, and Aveline all sat at the table, eating something that he assumed was milk from a bowl. William worked at the stove, and the event of eggs was almost too good to be true.  
"Hey!" Arno waved his arm. "No Templars allowed."  
"For fuck's sake, guys. Let them eat. Shay, Haytham, what do you want?" William asked. From the table, Edward made a disappointed sound.  
"Shay first." Haytham nodded to the Hunter.  
Shay smiled and stepped in, pointing at the stove.  
"Ah-ah, no eggs. Those are mine. You can have cereal or an apple."  
Shay opened his mouth like he wanted to speak- Haytham shook his head at him- then closed it and shrugged, universal for 'fine.'  
"Alright, sit at the table."

***  
Ezio ran along the rooftops of Firenze, his hood pulled low over his face. His father ran beside him, his clothing identical.  
"Now, come on, I'll show you how to identify a viewpoint."  
"A viewpoint?" Ezio asked.  
"Yes. You find them scattered around the cities. Monterigionni, Firenze, Venice. Where you see an eagle, you see a viewpoint."  
"What are they for?" Ezio switched to Italian and stopped, to catch his breath.  
His father smiled, then stopped up to Ezio and grabbed his shoulders.  
Then his face morphed into Uberto's, and he heaved Ezio over the edge of the building, his laughter following him to the ground.  
Ezio jerked awake, breathing hard.  
A dream, just a dream.  
From the kitchen he could smell eggs, and no one was in the living room with him. Breakfast already? He wasn't complaining.  
"Anne?" He asked. "Save some for me!"

***  
Evie held her breath, to keep her laughter at bay. She could hear Jacob turn on the water in the bathroom to clean his face, heard the water shut off.  
"Evie, you can come out now. It's of my face." He called.  
She smiled and pushed open the door of the closet. "No way you're forgiving me."  
He stood at the top of the stairs, his arms crossed. "I am. Only because it came off. If it was permanent there would only be one Frye left running around in the world."  
"And that Frye would be me." She said.  
He wrinkled his nose. "No way in hell. It would be me, the mighty Jacob! Well, another reason you're still alive is that I smell food."  
"Ah, yes, because that solves everything." She retorted.  
He started down the stairs. "Indeed, my sister!"  
"I'm not your sister. I'm your very conscious."  
"My conscious is just fine."  
"Hmm, and a perfect example of that is the time you thought it would be a great idea to attack a Blighters hideout-"  
"Evie, that was a one time deal-"  
"Armed with only a fork-"  
"I was drunk-"  
"Oh, and a rolled-up newspaper to boot!"

***  
Jacob rolled his eyes and landed on the banister with a loud thud.  
"Hey, wait for me!" Evie shouted down.  
"Then run down the stairs, don't take them two at a time like a pansy." He called back up. He poked his head into the kitchen.  
Anne, Mary, Ezio, Shay, Edward, Haytham, Connor, Ziio, Arno, and Altaïr all sat around the table, eating what appeared to be milk out of a bowl.  
"What the hell are you eating?" He asked.  
"Cinnamon Toast Crunch." Ezio held up his spoon.  
Ziio frowned. "I'm eating Cocoa Puffs."  
"I like a variety." William said from the stove. Evie peered in, and her eyes widened at the eggs. "Are those eggs?"  
William threw his hands up. "It's cereal or nothing, guys. The eggs are mine."  
"Damn." Jacob said. "'Cause I was hoping-"  
"Nope. Now which is it, Cinnamon or Cocoa?"  
"Cinnamon." Evie said quickly.  
"What! Cocoa is better." Jacob crossed his arms. Evie boxed his shoulder.  
"Who cares?" Edward asked. "I got the Cinnamon and I like it!"  
"Fine, Cinnamon for both of us." Jacob narrowed his eyes at Evie. "Happy?"

***  
Connor splashed his spoon into the milk. He was already done with the Cocoa Puffs and for some reason the milk was now an odd shade of brown.  
"Don't play with your food." Ziio told him.  
"But it's brown."  
"Then feed it to the Templars." Altaïr suggested. Shay lifted the bowl to his lips and sipped some milk into his mouth, then spat it at him.  
Altaïr wiped his face slowly, then stood, walked around the table, grabbed Edward's cup of orange juice, and dumped it over Shay's head.  
The table erupted into laughter, except for his father. Haytham crossed his arms and glowered at Altaïr. "Shay, you have permission to speak for the next ten seconds."  
"You are the biggest little mother f-"  
"Five."  
"You're an ass, Altaïr!"  
"Thank you for your opinion." Connor chuckled.

***  
Altaïr sat back, feeling satisfied with himself. Beside him, Mary nudged his arm. "Nice."  
"I would have done it to Haytham."  
"I can hear you." The Grandmaster said dryly.  
"I would have done it to Haytham but I fear what his lapdog would do."  
Shay hissed at him.  
"Alright, Shamrock." Jacob and Evie both took a seat beside the Templar. "Calm down. Before you bust a vein."  
"Hhmph." Shay put his elbows on the table and made a noise of irritation.  
"You heard the man, Shamrock." Altaïr didn't know what a shamrock was. "Calm down."  
This time the Templar waved his fist at him.

***  
Ziio wondered if Haytham would let her steal food from him. She smiled at the thought. She had done it before and survived.  
She darted in with her spoon and stole some of his cereal, holding it above her bowl until he noticed.  
"I don't know why you think that was stealthy. Go ahead and eat it." Haytham grinned at her.  
Oh, good.  
That part of him hadn't changed.

***  
Arno was having much fun with Aveline.  
He frowned as soon as the thought manifested. It sounded wrong.  
He was going back and forth with her in French (All the while recieving jealous looks from Jacob, Connor, and Shay- the three must have fancied her as well- which he pointed out to her.).  
"I think he likes you." He pointed to Connor.  
"Mm, I know." Aveline tapped her chin. "I am beyond glad they can't understand. I barely understand it myself."  
"Really?"  
"Wait, are you even French? Arno is a German name and Dorian is English.  
"I'm half Austrian, half French." He said. "And I've always lived in France."  
"Ah." She smiled and took a bite of her food. "I definitely want to go some day."  
"You'd like it."  
"What are you two saying?" Connor asked.  
"We're talking about how good this food tastes." Arno winked at Aveline.

***  
Aveline chuckled and resumed eating. It was nice to speak French again. She wasn't the best at it, and her practice was long overdue.  
Beside her, Connor went back to griping about why his milk was brown and tasting a great deal like chocolate.  
"It's supposed to do that, Connor." William said from the stove.  
"Why?" Connor asked.  
"Because- well, I guess it appeals to kids more."  
"We are not kids!" Aveline declared haughtily.

***  
Mary studied her Cinnamon Toast Crunch. "Hey, Anne."  
"Yes?" Anne looped her arm around Ezio's elbow.  
"You still wondering what Edward's scar does?"  
"I'm still wondering about Connor's and Arno's, too."  
Ziio nudged Mary's shoulder. "And Haytham's."  
"He has a scar?" Mary asked.  
"On his lower back. Came from a musket bayonet."  
"And you know this how?"  
Ziio smiled. "I was there when he got it. And how do you think Connor was born?"  
Mary laughed. "Alright, mate, as soon as breakfast is done, let's rally the others and get them."

***  
"Why so quiet, Ezio?" Anne asked.  
He shrugged.  
"Something's wrong. I see it in the way there's a sudden lack of dirty jokes."  
The corner of his mouth twitched. "I had a bad dream."  
"Again?"  
"Well, maybe it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't held down." He chuckled, then seemed to sober up. "No more, I'm getting scared to go to sleep."  
"Don't be." She smiled. "This new world probably has a remedy for fear, too."


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; Templar had it coming ;)  
> Allspark5101; I found a five minute clip of Drunk Histiry and I am damn sure that is not how Benjamin went about that experiment xD  
> IcedFireFrenzy; I second that thought.  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; Run, boys, run!

Vvv-vvv.  
A hand rached over onto the table and slapped the phone.  
Vvv-vvv.  
Rebecca sighed and picked up the phone. The sixth time that thing had vibrated in the past hour. For fuck's sake, John.  
6: 59- John ze Calibrator: Hello?  
7: 08- John ze Calibrator: Helllllllooooooo.  
7: 15- John ze Calibrator: Wake up! Rrrrrrriiiinnnnggg rrrrriiiiinnnnngggg! Hear that?  
7: 24- John ze Calibrator: Okay, fuck it. This is for when you wake up. Well, my- erm- faithful employee has a way inside. Buuuuut it involves climbing onto the rooftop.... Relax, it's not as dangerous as it sounds. XD JK Seriously, if you fall, you're as good as dead. But that's not the point. And I'm about to run out of digits-  
7: 29- John ze Calibrator- Sorry about that. Alright, so I have a set time for when Abstergo will be shut down and looked into by Interpol. I know, right, why bring Interpol into this? Is this even their field? Anyway, it's tomorrow. Once it's begun at 6 AM they'll be closed until 8 PM. No employees. Hopefully no Templars, and here comes the limit-  
7:30- John ze Calibrator- Ugh, I need a new phone. Really, why this shitty flippy thing? This is the twenty first century, not the Middle Ages. Aaaanyway, WAKE UP. Bye :)  
Rebecca put the phone down. She had to go tell Desmond they were sending his ancestors home soon.

***  
Haytham was getting suspicious.  
He knew Connor, his father, and Arno felt it, too.  
Ziio and Mary both chuckled, then stopped and waved when he looked their way. Something was definately amiss.  
William was still at the stove making his eggs. Not a care in the world.  
Suddenly Connor sprang up and dove out of the room.  
Well, wasn't he on top of things.  
Haytham pushed back his chair and followed, hearing several others call out taunts. "Come back here!" That was Mary.  
He heard Edward yowl as Anne caught his arm. "Get 'im, Ziio!" She shouted.  
"Haha!" Jacob tackled Haytham onto the floor, then turned and looked at Ziio. "Where is it?"  
"Lower back." Ziio smiled.  
Shay took Arno by suprise and lurched out of the chair as he raced by, stopping him in one fluid motion.  
"Templar and Assassin unite!" Altaïr smiled and helped Ezio hold Arno down.  
"Wait, Ezio, I thought we were allies!" Arno squirmed away from Shay.  
"Not now." Ezio grinned at him.  
Jacob and Evie flipped Haytham onto his back- the two of them were stronger combined- and Ziio put a hand on his back.  
"What are you so afraid of?"  
He writhed and twisted. "Peoples' hands on my back, that's what."  
"Only me, Haytham." He could hear the grin.

***  
Ziio lifted the back of Haytham's shirt and cocked her head. She didn't recall him being that muscle-y.  
"Where's our son?"  
"Probably upstairs." Evie said.  
She shrugged and found the scanned, a few inches, across his spine. She smiled and scratched it with her thumb, feeling Haytham try and buck her.  
"Ah! Fuck, Ziio, stop it!" He snarled.  
Shay, who was halfway across the room, released Arno and trotted over, kneeling by Haytham and pointing to his mouth.  
"What?" Jacob asked.  
Shay pointed to his mouth and shook his head.  
"Idiot." Evie snorted. "Try it again, Ziio."  
She did it again, and Haytham swore more than just passionately.  
Shay's mouth dropped.  
"What? Never seen me curse before?" Haytham asked.  
The Templar shook his head.  
"You may have to get used to it."

***  
Connor hid upstairs, listening for footsteps. What he heard was his father cursing enough to out Peg-Leg to shame.  
He smiled and stepped out of the closet, looking down over the railing. "You deserved that, Father!"  
"Get him!" Jacob straightened and started up the stairs.  
Connor felt the smile melt off his face and darted away, scanning for Desmond's room.

***  
Jacob clambered up the stairs, motioning to Evie and Ziio.  
Ziio pat Haytham's shoulder before jumping up and following, running nimbly up the stairs after her son.  
Connor had darted into one of the rooms, he knew that much by seeing his foot disappear into the doorway.  
Ziio, Jacob, and Evie skided to a halt, looking around.  
"Connor, it's obvious you're under the bed." Evie rolled her eyes.  
He dropped to his knees and gazed at the two brown orbs he knew were Connor's eyes. "Come on out from under there."  
"Ratonhnhaké:ton! Get out from under there!" Ziio ordered in Mohawk, peering under the bed. "We aren't hurting you."  
"But Mother-"  
"Ah, out of there."  
He reluctantly slid out from under the bed and stood while his mother walked around him.  
"Whay are you doing?" Jacob asked, when Ziio lifted Connor's arm.  
"Checking something. Roll up your sleeve."  
He did as he was told, and she studied his arm. "See? You have both gotten more... muscled."  
"Let's just get to the scar." Jacob smirked and flexed his fingers.

***  
Eive, for once, was perfectly fine with her brother's mischief. Ziio smiled and held Connor's arm, and Evie got the other.  
Jacob jumped forward and scratched Connor's scar with his thumb, grinning.  
Connor ducked his head and coughed loudly, then groaned. "Come on, stop it.That hurt."  
"I am so glad you don't swear." Ziio said. "You have no idea how funny and terrible it was to hear your father say those things."  
"He can do a lot worse without cursing." Connor said.  
Evie didn't ask what he meant. She had read about it once. Apparently the Kenways' had been very jumbled, chaotic lives. Meaningful ones.  
"Alright, now what?" She asked. "Wait, they caught Arno and Edward, right?"  
The four exchanged looks. "Let's go, then." Ziio was the first out of the room, being a fair bit faster than everyone else.

***  
Aveline, Anne, Mary, and Haytham laughed as Edward writhed in their grasps.  
"Devil curse you all! No!" Truth be told, this was terribly funny.  
Even so, he shook his head and kicked, narrowly avoiding striking Mary in the gut- she punched him good for that one.  
"Hey, calm down, man, you're freaking out for nothing. Look, see, ah get hiccups when you scratch my scar."  
"And Altaïr laughs." Aveline added. "How bad can yours be?"  
He looked up as Connor, Ziio, Jacob, and Evie trotted down the stairs, all smiles and no teeth. Probably going to join them.  
"And what does he do?" Haytham asked, eyeing his son.  
"Cough." Jacob rolled his eyes. "Boring."  
"Good. It means you won't be doing it again." Connor rubbed his neck and winced. "That still hurts."  
"Poor baby." Haytham teased. He clamped his mouth shut when Connor threw the T.V. remote at him.  
Edward tried to slip from Mary's grasp.  
She shook her head. "Oh, come on, mate, relax."  
Oi.

***  
Aveline chuckled as Edward kicked again, missing Anne by inches. The woman swore and beat his knee.  
"What are you wasting time for?" Aveline asked. "Curiosity is going to kill me."  
"It already has for me." Haytham rolled his eyes and braced himself aagisnt the floor. "Do it, Mary!"  
"Ah am." Mary tilted Edward's jaw up- the Assassin tried to spit at her, and it hit Aveline instead. Ugh. Pirates.- and scratched his scar quickly.  
He shouted something in a language Aveline instantly worked to place.*  
"What the hell?" Haytham asked. "Is that Welsh?"  
"It is." Aveline nodded. She had seen plenty of Welshman in her time at the docks some days to know that his accent and peonounciation was near to exact. Near to exact because she was sure he wasn't fully Welsh.  
"You never spoke it around me and Jenny." Haytham eyed his father suspiciously. "Wait, speak again."  
Edward spoke again.**  
"I can't understand him." Aveline shrugged. "Do any of you know what he's saying?"  
Edward looked frantic and raised his voice, but the Welsh continued.***  
"Um, focus, Edward. English, please." Anne said.  
"By God! If I ever get the chance, Mary Read, I will use you as a figurehead for the Jackdaw!" He sputtered in broken English.  
"Wait, say it again." Aveline told him. "It may be wearing away."  
"If I ever get the chance...." He threatened. His English seemed to fix itself and he spoke clearly this time.  
"Ah'm sure ye will." Mary waved her hanes in mock terror.  
"And never did I think you spoke Welsh." Haytham said dully.

***  
Anne laughed. "We never knew either."  
Mary pulled Edward to his feet. "Did you understand what you were saying?"  
"I did." Edward looked past Mary, frowning at the four still in the kitchen. "Haytham, aren't you supposed to be watching your lapdog?"  
Haytham's eyes widened and he turned.  
Arno, Ezio, and Altaïr had turned on Shay and all three were holding the thrashing Templar down.  
"And he still kept his mouth shut? That is one loyal Shamrock." Jacob commented.  
"I think Arno's thirsy for revenge." Anne observed.  
"Aren't you going to help him?" Ziio asked.  
Haytham shook his head. "The worst they're going to do is make him sneeze. William will be all over them if they try to kill him."  
"How kind." Anne chuckled. "Ah, well, let's turn our backs and watch Sponge Bob."

***  
Altaïr laughed. "Look at him squirm!"  
Arno chuckled. "Can't kill us, can you? Not over some damned fued that's over centuries old!"  
Ezio backed away. "Maybe we should stop."  
Shay gave him a look of aproval.  
Arno stopped and leaned back. "Oh?" He hated Shay. Any chance to make the Templar feel uncomfortable in any way was taken. It was almost like... like treason against himself if he didn't. Was that even possible?  
"Yes. This is sort of cruel."  
"Sort of cruel and cruel are two different things." Altaïr stood and put his foot on Shay's knee to keep him from escaping.  
"Yes, well, then this is cruel." Ezio crossed his arms. "Do what you want, but I want no part of it anymore."  
Arno shrugged as the Assassin walked away. Not like it mattered. The Templar beneath Altaïr's foot had taken his father.  
Altaïr bent over Shay- Shay glared up at him with defiant eyes- and grinned. "What should we do? He can't cuss us out."  
"Um, no stomping anyone's family jewels and no screaming is all I ask. Oh, and no killing." William said from the table, where he ate the eggs he had made.  
"I can abide by that." Arno smirked.

***  
Ezio turned his back and walked into the living room. Everyone else was already there, all gazing at the T.V with looks of confusion and awe.  
"What are you watching?" He asked Connor.  
"Power Rangers." Connor replied.  
"What's that?"  
"No clue." Mary answered.  
"I think they're using a Piece of Eden. No way all of that metal would just sort of build together like that." Haytham said.  
"Those are your words for it?" Ziio snickered.  
Edward shushed them.  
"No, you shhh!" Anne shot back.  
Ezio smiled and sat next to her, wondering what this Power Rangers was. Hopefully the location of a Piece of Eden would be revealed.

***  
Altaïr grabbed Shay's chin and turned his gaze up. "You and your Grandmaster are lucky you're protected by William."  
Uh, no. I make my own luck, you dick.  
"And Rebecca, Desmond, and Shaun." Arno added.  
Shay snarled at them. Bastards. Assassins are so cocky.  
Arno shook his head. "Get his scar. My payback."  
Altaïr grinned. "Will do."  
Oh, you're such an ass, you little roof-climbing shit-

***  
Altaïr frowned and scratched his scar again. Shay clenched his jaw and stared up at him, one corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.  
"Give it a while." Arno growled. "Can't fight that for too long."  
"Right." Altaïr released Shay and straightened up. "What are they watching in there?"  
"Hey, Ezio!" Arno called. "What are you watching?"  
"Power Rangers."  
"What?  
"Power Rangers!"  
"Can we join you?"  
"Stop yelling." William said from the table.  
"Si!"  
"Does that mean yes?"  
"Do Templars kill?" Ezio shouted back.  
"I'm about to feed you your teeth, Ezio." Haytham said loudly.  
"Yes, they do kill!" Arno called.  
Shay kicked him in the ankle.  
"Come on, Altaïr, let's go watch Power Rangers."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what Edward said:  
> * Mary, stop it!  
> ** I only speak it, Haytham, I can't write it or read it.  
> *** Come on!
> 
> I don't speak Welsh well enough to write out what he said, so this is all I really got.  
> Also, I'm not entirely sure if he speaks Welsh at all (I haven't read the Black Flag book yet.)


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; I remember thinking Teletubbies was creepy when I was little- I wonder what they'll think xD  
> dani; Holy crap, Slenderman hasn't even crossed my mind.....

Rebecca shook his shoulder. "Hey, Des."  
"Mond. Desmond." He corrected, sitting up. "What?"  
"Tomorrow morning we're heading to the Abstergo building."  
"No more ancestors?"  
"No more ancestors."  
He blew air out of one side of his mouth. "It kind of sucks. I wanted to show them Slenderman."  
"You still can.... but everything will be forgotten once we get the elixir into their system."  
"And when do we have to do that?"  
"Right before we Warp them. Shaun and I will work on getting everything ser up while you and William get them back into their old clothes and make them forget."  
"We can do that by hitting them over the head."  
"Be nice. Now come on, I'm a little nervous they got quiet."  
'"Is Shaun still sleeping?"  
"Think so. We'll wake him up, too."

***  
Ezio stared at the creen with a look of disapproval. This little group of teenagers that called themselves Power Rangers were in possession of a Piece of Eden. They had to be!  
And even though they fought like Assassins they clearly lacked, well, the flourish he assosciated with his faction.  
"Haytham, change it." Ezio groaned. "This is impossible."  
"So we realized." Connor said gruffly. "Father, please."  
"I'm working on that." Haytham snapped. He held up the remote and squinted at it. "But this bloody remote is uncooperative."  
Shay- who had snuck in after Arno and Altaïr to rediscover his patch of sun on the floor- held up his hand like he wanted to speak. Ezio slapped it aside.  
"Don,t think because I didn't want to beat you up means I can't punch you once. The only reason your Master is still kicking is because he's the only one who knows how to work the remote."  
"Real nice, Ezio." Haytham growled. He waved the remote. "Almost have it. Pick any set of numbers."  
"Hmm." Mary tapped her chin. "2-2-4-4-1-3-1-3?"  
"Rather exact, don't you think?" Anne asked.  
Mary shrugged. "Dunno. Try it, Haytham."  
"Fine."  
Ezio turned his gaze back to the T.V.  
What the hell?

***  
Arno stood in front of the T.V. with his arms crossed. "What the hell is this?"  
Ezio rose to his feet and stood next to Arno, shrugging. "Haytham?"  
"Teletubbies." Ziio said for the Templar.  
"This looks like a kid show." Jacob said. He lay sprawled over a big easy chair by the staircase, Evie sitting by his feet.  
"Oh, well." Aveline said. "It's sort of cute."  
"Cute?" Arno whistled. "More like creepy."  
Shay sat up and pointed to Arno, rolling his eyes.  
"He thinks your fear of it is stupid." Haytham translated.  
"Oh yeah? Well," Arno crouched by the Templar and put on his best leer. "Says the the guy who's afraid of Pepsi."  
Shay scowled and waved a hand.  
"Thought so-" Arno began.  
"Shut up!" Edward hissed. "I'm trying to hear what they're singing."  
"Fine!" Mary whispered loudly. "Calm down, man."  
On the couch, Connor crossed his arms. "No need to whisper-"  
Arno had forgotten about Shay's scar. The Templar sneezed, rather loudly-  
The reaction was one of instant hilarity and panic.  
Haytham had turned and pulled himself over the back of the couch, landing on the floor behind it with a yelp. Ziio followed him, aiming her feet directly at his stomach on purpose. Connor yowled and threw his arms around Aveline, and Altaïr had completely spasmed, flipping off the couch and onto his back on the floor. Edward threw himself under the coffee table, and Mary followed, shoving the pirate out of the way. Anne had squealed- Arno decided he would make it a point to call her Squeaky- and brought her feet up onto the couch, so she stood on the cushions with her arms out. Jacob had sat up, almost hitting Evie's head with his foot, to which his twin had responded with a curse.  
And Ezio... The future Mentor shrieked and jumped on Arno, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around Arno's waist.  
"Shay Cormac!" Haytham shouted from behind the couch.

***  
Ziio laughed and pushed herself off Haytham. "Does your lapdog normally do that?"  
"Alright, he is not my lapdog. You know I prefer wolfhounds."  
Ziio stood and looked down at him, shaking her head in mock disappointment. "Why wolfhounds, though?"  
"Really? If you're going for any kind of dog, Shay is a chihuaha." Jacob called.  
"What's a chihuaha?" Altaïr asked.  
"It sounds Spanish." Mary slid out from under the coffee table.  
"Shut up! The Teletubbies are singing!" Edward growled.  
"No, you shut up." Anne snapped.  
"Ezio, you can get off me, now." Arno said.  
Ziio peered over the couch at the Frenchman, and had to bite her tongue against laughter. Ezio had climbed onto Arno in his sudden fear and still clung to him, his face in his shoulder.  
"Who did that?" The Italian asked, his voice muffled by Arno's clothing.  
"The Templar."  
"And where is the Templar?"  
"On the floor by my feet."  
"He is afraid of Pepsi?"  
"I believe so, mon ami."  
"Run, Shamrock!" Haytham called.  
Ziio moved to cover his mouth, but it was too late. Shay's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet, racing up the stairs.  
Ezio howled and jumped off Arno, going after him.

***  
Haytham pulled himself up and stood with his arms crossed, looking down next his son with a smile. Ziio put a hand on his elbow and sent a shiver through him- although he'd never admit it.  
Connor had released Aveline and now the two sat in awkward silence, staring at the T.V as the Teletubbies danced across it.  
"I am tempted to grab his shoulder and scare him." Ziio said.  
"I would help you," Haytham muttered, "But I need to make sure my best Hunter isn't getting his limbs ripped off by a furious Italian."  
"He deserves it." Jacob huffed. "Scaring people like that... doesn't he know to stifle?"  
"We're working on that." Haytham barked back.  
"Shut. The. Fuck. Up." His father pamled his forehead. "For fuck's sake."  
"That word should not be used more than once in a sentance." Evie said dully.  
"Evie!" Came the irritated reply.

***  
Evie rolled her eyes. The Assassins of old were so irritable. She hadn't expected Altaïr to be so moody or Edward to be so short fused. Then again, she had a brother the exact same way.  
On the T.V., the show called Teletubbies danced across the screen. For being a kid's show, it was mesmorizing, watching the little creatures- she refused to call them people or animals- solve pointless problems.  
On the chair behind her, Jacob made a noise of exasperation. "This is boring."  
"No one asked your opinion." Connor replied.  
"You wanna come over here and tell me that?" Jacob snarled.  
"Hey." Evie sighed. What a bloody fighter. "Calm down."  
"No, I will not calm down-"  
She smacked his foot.

***  
Ow. Evie just hit him? Of course she did.  
He swore and kicked his foot, but she ducked out of the way just in time. "I declare a wrestling match!" He roared.  
"Be quiet!" William shouted from the kitchem.  
"Alright." Evie held out her arms. "Let's go."  
Altaïr pumped his fist. "I have to see this."  
"Go, Evie!" Aveline said.  
"What? No Jacob supporters?" Edward scoffed. "So mean."  
"Only as mean as you make us, mate." Mary chuckled.  
Jacob dove forward and tackled his sister onto the floor. She cursed and stuck her knee out, hitting him right between the legs-  
"Evie!" He howled, dropping onto his side and holding himself.  
"Oh." Arno shook his head. "No little Jacobs'll run around, fucking the world's police."  
"Pity." Ziio laughed.  
"It's not funny!" Jacob groaned. He beat Evie's foot with his fist. "I want a rematch as soon as I can walk."  
"You're never going to get that rematch, Evie." Anne snickered.  
"She will!" Jacob shouted.

***  
Edward laughed. His attention was devided between Jacob and Evie's fight and Teletubbies. Teletubbies being better, of course, but....  
He was always up for seeing an ass get it in the balls. Beside him, Mary shook her head. "See? More funny than you think."  
"But painful-" He turned and looked at Ziio. "Where'd you boyfriend go?"  
She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you just call him?"  
".... Um.... where did... Haytham go?"  
"Upstairs, to make sure Ezio doesn't rip Shamrock's arms off."  
"I knew it would catch on!" Jacob shouted.  
He nodded and turned back to Teletubbies. "Now please, be quiet!"

***  
Connor still didn't know how to break the silence between him and Aveline. Going off and panicking in front of her...  
He supressed a groan. Maybe he could ask Ezio how to help him, ah, clear his name. After the Mentor was done beating up Shamrock. He seemed like quite the ladies' man.  
Beside him, Aveline crossed her arms. "Edward, I really don't get why you're so hell bent on this."  
"Because I like it." Edward replied quietly, not moving his gaze away from the screen.  
Connor lifted his eyes to the ceiling. "Really, Edward."  
"Really." The captain snapped.

***  
Aveline wondered if it was worth it to see if Connor would try to make up for the rather sudden hug. If it took a Templar to suddenly sneeze and scare the shit out of all of them, she wouldn't have an issue doing it again.  
She decided to see if he would make up for it. But for now, Aveline was mostly curious as to why the hell Edward liked watching Teletubbies. Sure, it was cute for while, but like Arno had said, it was getting creepy.  
"Edward, why do you like it so much?" She pressed.  
"I don't know." The captain confessed. "I just do. Now leave me in peace!"  
Anne smirked. "Come on, Kenway."  
"You come on. Go do something else if you don't like it."

***  
"What a kid." Anne muttered. Then her gaze fell on Arno, who stood a few feet to the left of the T.V, his arms crossed. She nudged Mary's arm. "Hey, did we get his scar?"  
"Well, ah mean- no, ah didn't...." A devilish grin pulled at her lips. "Distract him while ah get the twins and Altaïr."  
"What about Aveline and Connor?" Anne asked.  
"Too busy trying to hide their all-too-abvious liking. And Kenway, naturally has taken to Teletubbies."  
"Shhh!" Edward hissed.  
Anne shrugged. "What should I say?"  
"Anything, mate."  
She nodded and stood, walking over to Arno. He stared at the T.V. (More accurately, sneered at it.) with a look of irritation.  
"I really don't get why he likes this so much."  
"Neither do I." She replied honestly.

***  
Mary had to flop on her belly- Jacob was still lying curled up, cursing his sister- to get Jacob's help. Evie knew what they planned to do before Mary even told her, and had clearly been planning to find out on her own at some point. The final enlisted person was Altaïr.  
He lay on the floor on his back, his legs up and slung over the couch where he'd fallen when Shay had sneezed.  
"You still interested in seeing what Arno's scar does?" Mary asked.  
He shrugged. "I... guess."  
"Well, I need you help...."  
She leaned in and whispered the plan to him.

***  
Altaïr crouched behind Arno, the corner of his mouth raised in a grin. He waited for Anne to start talking again, then lirhced forward, grabbing Arno's shoulder and bringing him down onto his back.  
"Traitor!" Arno shouted at Anne. "Damn it, who can I trust around here?!"  
Altaïr held Arno's shoulders, Anne grabbed his legs, Evie and Mary each held down his arms.  
"Go, Jacob!" Altaïr grunted.  
"Alright, alright!" Jacob dropped to his knees and quickly scratched Arno's scar, then jumped back like he was terrifed of the Frenchman.  
Mary laughed. "What, nothing?"  
"No, I'm... I'm yawning...." Arno's mouth dropped open and he closed his eyes.  
"What, were you expecting his head to blow up?" Aveline smirked.  
"As a matter of fact-" Anne began.  
"That would have been funny." Jacob laughed.

***  
Shay slid out from under the bed, peering around. No Ezio. Haytham must have chased him away.  
He pulled himself up and padded to the door. Not a peep. It was like the entire upstairs floor was abandoned.  
He made his way into the next room, then froze in the doorway, his stomach dropping.  
There was that thing Rebecca called a computer, but unlike her computer, where the background was blue, this one had a background that looked like sunset over.... Lisbon.  
Something creaked behind him, and he spun around, ready to face Ezio.  
Shaun stared at him, his hands up. "What are you looking at in there?"  
He shrugged.  
Shaun looked past him, squinting at the computer. "That's... oh... not to worry. That's modern day Lisbon. Two hundred plus years after the earthquake."  
He turned and looked at the computer. Swung his gaze back to Shaun. What the hell? But it looks almost the same.  
The British man rolled his eyes. "People back then- people are sentimental. They rebuilt it. I had the plane ticket to go there last year, and- you don't... know what a plane ticket is, do you?"  
Shay grinned sheepishly and shook his head. No, sir, you're speaking more jibberish than the Grandmaster does when he's drunk.  
"Well, I don't intend on telling you."  
Oh. Thank you for sparing me the possible lecture?  
"You can go play on it. Maybe some Slenderman or Minecraft. Used to be Desmond's computer, I'm told."  
Shay nodded and stepped into the room, then froze again. The room was dark, but hadn't he seen a flash of navy blue and white-  
"Raahhh!" Ezio shouted. Haytham jumped out from behind the door, Ezio clinging to his neck.  
Shay was not going to sugarcoat it. He screamed like a little girl and jumped, throwing his arms out. He slipped and fell, landing on his back with a loud yelp.  
Haytham stumbled back against the wall, laughing. Ezio jumped down and crouched by Shay, laughing so hard he had to clutch his belly.  
"That was- that was bene, you have to admit!" The Italian proclaimed.  
Shay snarled at him.  
Whatever, you bastardo.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; My memories of it are rather dim- the last time I laid eyes on episode was when i was six. I remember staring at the screen like o.O  
> Dani; xD  
> PoisonHw; Templar and Assassin work together to scare Templar!
> 
> Also, there is a little scene in Unity where, when Arno takes controversial letters to burn them, Napolean apparently steals something that glows. A golden glow. One that he then preceeds to hide when Arno turns around.

Shaun met them in the room that housed the Animus- locked to avoid any, ah, tampering by the Assassins and Templars not from the twenty first century- and hurriedly sat at the desk so Desmond and Rebecca didn't see his chuckles.  
He failed.  
"What are you laughing about?" Rebecca asked.  
"Yeah, and what little girl just screamed?" Desmond added. "Seriously, whoever that was, she's got a pair of lungs."  
"Um, nothing... and that scream you heard was Shay. Have a seat in the Animus, Desmond."  
"No way in hell that was Shay." Rebecca rolled her eyes. "You sure it wasn't Anne or Ziio?"  
"Only Templars and little girls hit that note." Desmond snickered.  
She swatted his arm. "Hey, be nice. You're exploring some of Arno's memories this time."  
"What are you looking for now?"  
"Um, a review of what exactly Napolean Bonaparte took when Arno was busy burning those letters."  
"It may have been the Apple of Eden." Shaun said, "Just get in there. We'll explain it all soon."

***  
"Wait, now this is what Shaun told you to play, Slenderman?" Ezio peered over Shay's shoulder and studied the comouter screen. Shay scowled and elbowed the Assassin away. Hey, it's my turn. And yes, he told me to play something called Slenderman, and I think I may regret this.  
"Why are you walking around in the woods? And why aren't you holding a lantern?" Haytham asked.  
Shay shrugged. No idea, Grandmaster. I don't know what's giving me the light.  
He continued playing this 'Slenderman', pausing to roll his eyes or scoff whenever Ezio asked a question.  
Finally the Assassins started off a rant of Italian.  
Shay turned and looked at Haytham. Know what he's saying?  
"Hell no. English, Ezio." The Grandmaster growled.  
"Idiota." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Answer my questions without scoffing or rolling your eyes-"  
The computer screen suddenly flashed, a white faceless.... well, face, appearing in the center.  
Shay fell out of the chair, Haytham pulled him to his feet and the three fell over each other in their panic to escape the room.  
He pressed his back to the wall and closed his eyes, breathing hard. Of course he regretted this.

***  
Ezio did not tell the Templars he was so scared he felt his heart leapt into his throat.  
"Is it- is it gone?" He dared ask. "Someone look."  
Haytham slowly peered around the doorframe, into the room.  
He pulled back and sighed. "It's gone."  
Shay slid along the wall till he reached the floor and waved a hand as though to say, you two can have that thing!  
"I think that's the point of this Slenderman." Haytham whispered.  
"To scare you! Why would a game do that?" He gasped. "What if that's real life and that thing's coming for us?!"  
Shay punched his knee and held out both hands, his eyebrows raised.  
"He is questioning your manliness." Haytham smiled.  
Oh. Templar. Questioning. The great Italian Girl-Getter Ezio Auditore da Firenze???  
No one questioned his manliness.

***  
Haytham nudged Shay with his foot. "Honestly, you make enemies far more than you make friends."  
Shay harumphed and crossed his arms. Well, it's true, Grandmaster.  
"I know it's true." Haytham gave Ezio a withering look. "He's apologizing."  
Shay gave him a frantic look. No I am not! I refuse to take that back-  
"Shay, I'm trying to help you-"  
"You have ten seconds to start running." Ezio threatened.  
Haytham rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. "Oh, great, see? I tried to help you. Have at him, Ezio, I'm going to see Ziio."  
Ezio whistled, momentarily forgetting his manliness questioning. "Someone's in looooove."  
"Excuse me?" Haytham growled. Alright, who was he kidding, he was thrilled Ziio was back. However.  
Having an Assassin point it out?

***  
Edward rolled his eyes for the tenth time as Jacob and Evie reached a standstill. Well, more of a wrestle-still.  
Evie was on top of her twin, one arm around his neck and the other hooked around his shoulder. He lay on his belly, her on his back, one hand on his neck, the other twisted to grasp a fistful of his sister's shirt.  
"Come on, Evie." Aveline said.  
"Jacob! She's beating you!" Connor exclaimed.  
"I'm trying to watch Teletubbies!" Edward hissed, "Shhhh!"  
"Watch them somewhere else." Mary snapped. "Go, Evie!"  
Edward swore. "You're impossible."  
"Where's my Italian?" Anne asked, looking around.

***  
No, really.  
Ezio had gone upstairs and he hadn't come down- although judging by that high pitched scream that came from a little girl somewhere upstairs (She was pretty sure that was Shay) he must have gotten his revenge.  
She turned her gaze away from the sibling fight and looked to the stairs, waiting for any sign of him.  
And within seconds, there he was.  
Shooting down the stairs, chasing the Irish Templar.  
"No one questions my Auditore manhood!"  
This young Mentor was adept at defending his reputation among the women.  
She liked it.

***  
Ziio lay on the floor on her belly, a few feet from Jacob and Evie's heads.  
"Do you give you give up yet, Jacob?"  
"Never!" The twin shouted. "It's Evie who should give up."  
"I don't think so." Arno sat next to Altaïr on the floor, watching Teletubbies. "You're screwed."  
Evie leaned her weight harder against her brother and Ziio could see the visible wince. "Ow, ow, ow, Evie- Evie my knee-"  
"Hmm, wonder why it's sore." She grinned at him.  
Ziio looked up as she heard footsteps coming down the stairs and suppressed a smile. "Haytham?"  
"What? Oh." He looked down, although she swore his cheeks turned a different color. "I may as well let Ezio get to Shay. That Irishman is a lost cause."  
She shrugged. "Most of us are."

***  
Connor stood and stretched. "This is boring- anyone want to come outside?"  
"Let's go!" Altaïr jumped to his feet. "As the best Assassin, I go first."  
Who knew the great Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad was so, well....  
Connor didn't know how to put it. Obnoxious, he figured. He turned to Aveline. "Are you coming?"  
"Yes." She stood and darted out of the door before he could say anything else. Altaïr yowled in protest.  
"But I'm supposed to go first!"  
"Mary, will you come with us?" Anne asked.  
"Aye. C'mon, Kenway, turn that off and join us." The Assassin said.  
"You do that." Edward said, without looking away from the T.V.  
"The Rooks are going!" Evie pulled Jacib onto her back- laughing- and left the room. Anne held open the door for them.  
"Haytham, will you come with us?" His mother asked, turning to the Templar. Connor scoffed.  
"No, leave him here."  
"I'll... stay here." Haytham lumbered to the couch and crossed his arms, looking disappointed.  
Arno stood and yawned, stretching. "You're right about this being boring." He turned to go outside.  
Connor pulled Ziio's shoulder. "Mother?"  
"I'm coming." She cast one last look at his father, than followed him outside.

***  
Arno crouched in the snow and scraped his hands through it, bringing an armful to himself. He ducked to avoid an incoming snowball from Altaïr and smoothed the soon-to-be-fort's wall, building it higher-  
Msry crashed through the fort, laughing.  
"Mary!" He swore in French- Aveline threw a snowball at him for it- and tried to rebuild his fort. "Damn it, it's ruined."  
"Oh, come on." Evie tossed a snowball back an forth between her hands. "Quit building a fort and stick snow down peoples' shirts instead."  
Ziio dropped down from the tree. "She's right. You're wasting time."  
"It's not too big of a waste." Mary observed. "Sorry, man."  
Arno shrugged. "Forget it. I'll stick snow down peoples' shirts instead." He looked at Evie.  
"Come near me with a snowball and the next snowball goes down your pants." She threatened.  
"Oh, frozen-"  
"Don't even go there, Jacob!" She shouted.

***  
Altaïr threw a snowball at Connor and dove behind the tree, holding his breath to keep from laughing.  
"Alright, I know you're there, Altaïr." The Assassin called. "Really?"  
He sighed. Really, Connor.  
Altaïr stepped out from behind the tree and shrugged. "Really-"  
Wait a minute.  
Wasn't there a pool in the backyard-  
The ice shrieked and gave way, and he was suddenly plunged under, his world going from a peaceful white to a dark, cold blue.  
He watched the little jagged edges of ice fade away and frantically beat his fist against the frozen water. He could hear panicked voices, feal the ice shake as people thumped it with their owns fists.  
He continued attacking the ice until he ran out of air.

***  
"Altaïr!" Jacob was the first to where the Assassin had vanished. He peered into the hole, cursing the dark water that lapped serenly at the edges.  
"Oh, shit." Evie groaned. "Someone go get William."  
Connor and Arno turned and ran, shouting, toward the house.  
Ziio crouched and pounded the ice, and Evie, Anne, Aveline, and Mary joined her.  
"Come on, come on." Anne muttered.  
"Fuck it." Jacob stood and pulled off his shirt, preparing himself to jump in after the Assassin.  
"Jacob, no way in hell am I letting you go in there." Evie challenged.  
He shivered in the cold and crossed his arms. "I'm not letting him die, either."  
Then he sucked in a deep breath and jumped in.

***  
She made a mental note to kill Jacob when he came back out of the water.  
"We need to widen the hole in the ice. This pool is big, and it's all covered, so it gets hard to tell where you can come up."  
Ziio nodded, "Rocks will help- we won't cut our hands."  
"Alright." Mary pushed herself to her feet. "Ah'm on it. Anne?"  
"We should drop something into the water every now and then so they can hear and see where we are. Something that will sink." She looked to Mary. "You find big rocks, I'll find small ones."  
Aveline, Ziio and Evie crouched by the hole in the ice and continued pounding it with their fists. Damn it, Jacob. He had to come back to her, and he had damn well better be holding a soaking wet- breathing- Altaïr when he did.  
"A human can hold their breath for a minute or less, sometimes longer." She counted out the seconds. They were stretching.... Oh, hell, please, Jacob.  
"He'll be alright." Aveline assured her. "They're both strong people."  
Mary and Anne hurried back, Mary holding five big rocks, and Anne holding a dozen or so small ones.  
Mary gave everyone a rock and kneeled by the water. "Anne, start dropping them in, one every five seconds. Everyone else, get smashing."  
"Hard as you can, avoid your own fingers." Ziio added.  
Evie ignored this order. All her strikes against the ice melted into one silent plea.  
Please, Jacob, please.

***  
Aveline worked furiously at the ice, turning the sharpest edge of the rock to face the frozen water.  
She looked toward the water and sighed, watching her breath fog in the mist as she lifted her arm and hacked away.  
The hole in the ice was widening, and Anne dropped rocks in one at a time, worriedly scanning the water.  
"Hey!" Arno pulled open the door and left it open for Connor and William. "Where's Jacob?"  
"He went in...." Evie sounded frantic.  
"He what?" William cursed and gazed at the ice. "Somone else might have to go after them."  
"I'll go." Evie said. Aveline caught a flicker of movement under the ice and grabbed her arm.  
"Everyone, stop!"  
The sound of ice cracking faded away, replaced by the wind.  
Suddenly Jacob's head broke the surface, and he held to his chest a coughing, shaking Altaïr.  
"Jacob!" Evie lunged forward and grasped his shoulders, heaving him out onto the snow.  
The two lay there, shivering, for a moment, before Jacob lifted his head and gave a tired smile. "Do you know how long it took me to find this poor bloke?" He asked in fits and starts.  
Connor crouched by Altaïr picked the Assassin up, carrying him toward the house.  
Evie hugged her brother, and he made a point to cram snow down her shirt.  
Aveline grinned in relief and jogged toward the door, to hold it open while Connor carried Altaïr inside.  
"Where should we put him?" She asked William.  
"Both of them need a hot bath." He said. "I'll be in in a few moments."  
"Connor." She said. He turned and looked at her. Altaïr had wrapped both arms around his neck and pressed his face to Connor's chest, still shivering. "William said he needs a hot bath. The bathroom."  
He nodded and headed for the bathroom downstairs, ignoring the questions from the Assassins and Templars who stayed indoors.  
A moment later Jacob appeared in the doorway, sheepishly taking a lecture from his sister.  
"And if you ever do that again I swear I won't talk to you for the next year! No, ten years.... no, fuck that, your entire lifetime!"  
Aveline gave him an apologetic smile. "You have quite the sister."  
"Oh, this is nothing. At least it's not the 'Do You Know What Borax Can Do To You?!' lecture."  
"Speaking of which, Jacob...." Evie began.

***  
Mary sat back in the snow and sighed. "We have triumphed."  
Arno nodded. "What did you do, exactly."  
"Rocks." Ziio held up the rock she had used to beat the ice. "We pounded them against the ice and widened the hole so Jacib and Altaïr could see."  
"Quite a good turnout." Mary nodded. "Good idea, mate."  
"Alright, now that they're safe, I'm missing Ezio." Anne smiled. "Wonder where he went."  
"Uh, when I went inside with Connor he was lying on top of Shay and the two were watching T.V together.They had wrestled the remote from Edward and gotten Haytham to work with it."  
"And? Templars and Assassins working together? No way." Mary shook her head.  
"Actually, yes. They were watching something called Drunk History and Shay was yelling at the T.V. Something about 'That is not how it happened! I was there! Me and Hope!'"  
"What?" Ziio asked. "Drunk History? Sounds like a drunk man trying to read a book."  
"Ah'll reckon it is." Mary said. She rubbed her hands together. "Anyway, let's get out of this cold. And ah want to see William try to get Altaïr and Jacob to take a bath."


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AquilaTempestas; Thank you! Yep, twins are like that. One gets hurt and the other is either laughing or all over them for it. Sometimes both.  
> dani; Me too!  
> PoisonHw; I always thiught Slenderman was freaky as- pardon the expression- fuck. First time I played it I was bored, until that thing's face popped up.
> 
>  
> 
> The different points of view paragraphs take quite a while to write (It comes out to a grand total of fourteen paragraphs and a dead battery.) and I usually end up drifting away from that person's particular view. So they may be random and mixed in with full page chapters.

"Here." William out a towel on the counter and peered down at Connor, suppressing a grin. The Mohawk Assassin sat with his back to the bathtub, and Altaïr had apparently latched himself onto him. "Let's tell him what to do and give him some privacy."  
"Um..." Connor tried to push Altaïr off, but he made a growl at the back of his throat and went back to the same position as before. "He won't let go."  
Jacob poked his head in. "Damn it, Altaïr, I'm bloody cold!"  
"There's a bathroom upstairs." William said. "Go use that. Shaun'll give you some new clothes if you ask him."  
"Come on." Evie grabbed her brother's shoulders and he followed her, his arms crossed, shaking.  
"Let go." Connor sighed in exasperation. "Stop being so clingy. I'm all wet now."  
"You're warm." Altaïr muttered, his voice muffled by Connor's shirt.  
"The bath is warmer." Arno called from the living room.  
"Shay, damn it, for every word you say to that T.V, you're to be silent for an hour." Haytham growled.  
"But Grandmaster! That isn't right! Hope and I were there! We saw it-"  
"And if you recall, the name of what you're watching is Drunk History, understand? Drunk."  
"Wait." Shay blinked and squinted at the T.V. "What?"  
Ezio shifted on the Templar's back- Shay was a little bigger than him, so Ezio could balance his heels on Shay's ankles- and slapped Shay's shoulder. "Idiota. I was trying to tell you!"  
"Keep it down!" Edward hissed. Mary threw a pillow at him.  
"Oh, relax." She stood and went to the bathroom door, looking down at Connor. "What's with him?"  
"I think he's traumatized."  
Altaïr thumped his chest. "No! I'm cold!"  
"Well, the water in the bath is warm."  
"But you're warm."  
"Altaïr, I'm going to stand, and you're going to fall onto the floor."  
"I bet I won't."  
"I don't bet, Altaïr." Connor slowly stood, holding his hands out in front of him. Altaïr stood with him, then jumped and clung to his back, his arms looped around Connor's neck, and his legs around his waist.  
Mary burst out laughing. "Anne- Anne- you have to come see this-"  
"It's not funny!" Altaïr shouted. "I. Am. Cold!"  
Anne appeared in the doorway and smiled. "They're trying to tell you the water is warmer, man."  
"It's too cold to let go."  
"And you're too heavy to stand up straight." Connor grunted. "Get off me."  
William smiled. He had an idea. He leaned forward and whispered to his ancestor, "I'll fill the tub with water. Drop him in."  
Connor nodded.  
"What are you conspiring about?" Altaïr asked. "I heard something about a tub."  
"Nothing, Altaïr." William turned the water on. "Alright, you have your orders, Connor. I'm going upstairs to make sure Jacob and Evie are doing okay."  
Mary stepped aside and beckoned to Edward. "Come see this."  
Edward rolled his eyes. "I'm watching something. Can it wait?"  
"No. It's funny. Worth your time, like that Mayan cave I showed you."  
He begrudgingly joined them.  
Connor turned his head to one side, waiting for the water to rise. Then he sat on the edge of the tub and slowly started to lean backward.  
Altaïr tried to climb higher onto him. "Wait-what-what are you doing? Connor? Connor?!"  
At the last second, Altaïr slapped a hand over Connor's forehead and tipped him all the way back, so he fell into the water after him.  
"Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad!" Connor drew himself up and groaned. "Great. I'm soaked."  
Altaïr sat up and splashed him. "No one messes with Altaïr."  
"Would you like to test that theory?"  
"Here." Mary stuck out her hand and braced herself against the wall. "Want some help?"  
"Yes. You enjoy your bath." Connor kicked up water at Altaïr and accepted Mary's help, stepping out of the bath.  
"I'll get Ezio to ask for some clothes." Anne said.  
"Why not do it yourself?" Altaïr asked out of curiosity.  
"Because I wonder if he'll do it for me. Ezio!"  
"Si, beautiful?"  
"Can you ask for some clothes for Connor and Altaïr?"  
"Si!" He jumped to his feet- startling Shay, who had retaken his oath of silence- and raced up the stairs. "Wiiiiillllliiiiiaaaaam!"  
"He's so loud." Mary said.  
"Who knew the Mentor was so....." Anne trailed off and grinned.  
Altaïr spit water at her. "What about me? I'm handsome."  
"Of course you are. Ezio's better at it."  
Mary boxed her shoulder. "No!"  
Edward shot an apologetic look. "Oi. This century is changing them."  
"I can see that. I've heard tales of these two." Connor said. He pushed past them and trotted to the couch, purposefully pushing his father away from his mother and sitting between them.  
"Hey-" Haytham began.  
"Why are you all wet?" Ziio asked.  
Shay flipped onto his back and pointed to the bathroom, then made a splashing sound with his mouth.  
"Oh." Haytham muttered, "Why here, Connor?"  
"Hey, Ezio? I wanna ask you a question." Desmond trotted down the stairs behind the Assassin, who took the steps two at a time, holding a bundle of clothes for Connor and Altaïr. Desmond suddenly shouted back up the stairs, "Hey, Rebecca! See if he finds this racist!"  
"Damn it, Desmond! Did you not listen to Lucy?!" Came the faint reply.  
"Ask me anything, my friend." Ezio sounded suspicious. He landed on the banister with a boom and handed the clothes to Anne, then resumed his position on Shay's back.  
"Wassa-matta-you, Ezio?"  
Ezio blinked. "What?"  
"Don't listen to him, Ezio!" Shaun called. "He's just bored."  
"You're bored!" Desmond snapped.  
"What does that mean?" Ezio was confused.  
"Maybe he's asking what's wrong with you?" Aveline suggested.  
"Sounded like it." Haytham mused.  
"No, it..." Desmond held a hand like he wanted to say something, then lowered it and sighed. "Never mind."  
Anne tossed some clothes into the bathroom for Altaïr, then threw some at Connor. He thanked her and left the room, wondering if he'd find Haytham and Ziio sitting together in his absence.  
"Did my dad feed you guys or what?" Desmond asked.  
"He fed us something called Ceeee-reeeeee-aaal." Edward drew out the word. It sounded annoying.  
"You're saying it wrong. You say it like you say the 'serial'." Haytham corrected.  
Desmond rolled his eyes. "Okay, Mister OCD."  
"Mister-what? OCD? What does that stand for?"  
Ziio shook his shoulder. "Something good, maybe."  
"No, it means Obsessive Compulsive Disorder." Desmond laughed and went into the kitchen. "Means he's neat, orderly, and as annoying as possible about it."  
"I am not annoying about anything."


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Glad you appreciate it- I didn't understand what it meant at first, I actually had to look it up.

Jacob tugged the sleeve of his black shirt over his elbow and looked at Evie, who leaned against the wall, her lip curled.  
"More lecture?"  
"We're past that, Jacob. That was actually pretty... brave."  
No way. Evie was praising him. "I need to write down the date."  
"William said it was the twenty third."  
"Of what?"  
"Of November, 2015."  
"Wait-" He grabbed her arm. "I smell something."  
"Smells like those waffles Rebecca made."  
"Who cares what it is, it smells good." He pulld her toward the stairs. "Let's go!"

***  
"No, guys, this is for me."  
"But it smells good." Aveline gazed at the pancakes Desmond was making.  
"Okay, fine, everyone tell me how many you want. No more than two each, Dad said you've all been fed."  
"It'naan!" Altaïr waved two fingers.  
"Wha's that supposed to mean?" Ezio asked. "And just say two instead of waving your hand about like some maniac."  
"It means two in Arabic, idiot."  
"Really?" Haytham asked.  
"Wait, I just realized something." Altaïr turned in the doorway and peered at Haytham. "Your name is Arabic."  
"I've noticed."  
"But you're not Arabic."  
"Not that I know of."  
"So why-"  
"I don't know, ask him." Haytham pointed to Edward, who scowled at him. "He named me."  
"I'm telling you, I haven't had kids." Edward snapped. "Unless there's something that maid in Nassau isn't telling me."  
"Kenway!" Mary cuffed the back of his head. "What happened to Caroline Scott?"  
"Scott? That's my sister. Jenny. She kept her name after her mother died. You kept telling me not to ask her about it."  
"You have a sister?" Ziio asked.  
"Guys!" Desmond held up both hands and turned to face them. "Everyone, table, now."  
His ancestors trotted to the table and each found their own chair.  
"Now." Desmond looked longingly back at his pancakes. "This'll take a while. No arguing, shouting, spitting, or sneezing suddenly and scaring the shit out of everyone else. Shay, I'm talking to you. Do what you want, but keep the volume down. Am I understood?"  
"Oui." Arno said. "You will have no noise from us-"  
"What's this I smell?" Evie peered into the kitchen, and Jacob looked over her shoulder.  
"The twins are here!" Ezio proclaimed. "Join us!"  
"I'm making some pancakes, and because these guys seem to have insatiable appetites, they're getting some. You guys want any?"  
"Yes!" Jacob crowed.  
"I'll take one." Evie clamped a hand over her twin's mouth. "Lower yoir voice, Jacob, it's not a bloody contest."  
"I'll make it a contest!" Ezio pushed back his chairs and puffed his chest, opening his mouth as if to shout.  
"No!" Desmond turned and brandished the spatula. "Don't make me come over there and stick your ass on this frypan. And don't think I won't do it."  
Ezio sat down again, looking defeated. Anne out a hand on his shoulder. "Ah, well. You tried."  
Frim where he sat beside Altaïr, Shay grinned at Haytham and stuck his arm out on the table.  
"What are you trying to do?" Ziio asked.  
Shay rolled his eyes and motioned to Haytham.  
"You want to arm wrestle? With me?" He put his arm on the table.  
Jacob sat down on one end of the table, and slammed his hands onto the wood, effectively startling Ezio, Anne, Mary, and Aveline. "Templar versus Templar, who will win?!"  
Haytham and Shay rolled up their sleeves and and have each other an arrogant smirk.  
"I'm with the Irish one." Mary said.  
"No! British!" Evie mad a fist and smacked it against the palm of her hand.  
"London specifically." Haytham's arm leaned to the right and he swore. "You're stronger than I thought."  
Shay's only response what a tight smile and his arm trembled.  
"And the man from London makes a comeback, folks!" Desmond said. "This skirmish is becoming more and more tense by the second!"  
Ziio put a hand on Haytham's arm. "Save your energy. Don't try and beat him just yet."  
He nodded and noted that Shay was beginning to look frantic.  
"Oh! Oh! Shamrock's luck is out!" Ezio laughed. Shay shot him a look and bared his teeth.  
"Don't piss him off, he might ruin your luck, too." Edward warned. "Come on, do it for Britain."  
"For Ireland, damn it." Anne grumbled.  
"I vote we have an Assassin go against a Templar next time." Aveline said. "Can we do that?"  
"Oui," Arno agreed. "Madame."  
Connor glared at Arno. "No more French from here on, please."  
"Calm down." Ziio told him. "Are you afraid Arno's going to steal her heart-"  
"Mother!" Connor exclaimed in Mohawk. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms, then switched to English. ".... I'm just suspicious about the French."  
"Racist!" Desmond called from the stove, "Nah, just kidding. But really."  
"Shhh!" Edward hissed. "A victor will finally be realized."  
The table grew silent.  
"Hey, why so quiet all of a sudden? Guys?" Desmond turned and looked, then lowered the spatula and sighed. "Wow. The only people I know who can get that excited over an arm wrestling match."  
The room went quiet again, until Shay's knuckles hit the table with a dull thump.  
Haytham sat back and clasped his shoulder. "I'm not going to lie, that was difficult."  
Shay groaned and buried his head in his arms.  
"It's alright. Now one of you has to go against me." Ezio declared.  
"Shay, you want to try?" Anne asked. "Irish against Italian."  
"No, British against Italian!" Evie said.  
"I'm part Welsh." Haytham told her. "And I agree more with Irish against Italian."  
"Yes! Let's see who shall be questioning who's manhood now, ah?" Ezio boasted, while Shay reluctantly put his arm on the table.  
"First pancakes are done." Desmond said without turning around. "Whoever wins this round gets them."  
"Oh, it just got real." Arno murmured.  
"So mysterious." Aveline whispered.  
"I'm still for Ireland." Anne held up her fist. "Come on, Cormac."  
"You're Irish?" Ezio asked. "I keep thinking you're from Scotland."  
"No, I'm Irish, alright."  
"You wear funny skirts." Jacob snickered. Shay reached over with the arm that wasn't locked with Ezio's and gave him a sound smack on the ear.  
"It's a kilt!" Anne growled for the Hunter.  
"Fine, fine." Jacob rubbed his ear. "No difference."  
Shay silenced him with a glare and lowered his head, staring at Ezio with a look that could kill.  
"I know that look." Haytham said. "Summoning that inner bull."  
Edward chuckled. "Funny, mate. I'm beginning to believe your story about your coming from me, with that little sense of humor. Tell me, d'you like rum-"  
"Oi!" Arno shushed him.  
Ezio's smile began to melt as his arm started to tremble.  
"Come on, Mentor!" Mary said. "It's a bloody Templar!"  
"Si, si, si. It is a Templar."  
"Not an it." Haytham huffed. "That's a he you're talking about."  
"Oh, same difference, all you Templars are 'its'." Altaïr said dismissively.  
"What did you just say?!"


	54. Chapter 54

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; Me too, damn it. Edward is, say, trying to understand the idea. Although he's more toward that random maid in Nassau (Did you know there's a little trick you can do to make woman appear in his bed at Great Inagua?) than what Haytham's trying to say.  
> IcedFireFrenzy; I have to remain partial to both sides, but I am an underdog supporter. *Not so discreet wink*  
> salanland; I agree! *Whistles innocently, too*

"I, um...." Altaïr looked nervous. "Nothing, Young Eagle."  
Haytham sat back with a satisfied grin. Beside him, Ziio cuffed his shoulder. "Don't tell me this Kenway is acting smug."  
"I'm not acting smug." Came the hurt reply.  
"Shay, is he acting smug?" Altaïr asked.  
The Irish Templar glanced at him, then tightened his grip of Ezio's hand.  
"This is not fair. He's cheating!" Ezio cried, as his arm started to lean to the right.  
"I can't belive I'm saying this, but Shay isn't cheating." Arno said. "He's playing it fair."  
"I still call bullshit." Ezio growled. His knuckles were inches from the table.  
"Come on, Mentor." Mary whsipered. "You can do it."  
Ezio's knuckles hit the table and he pushed back his chair. "Damn it! You cheated! I swear you cheated-"  
"Anyone know what he's saying?" Evie asked.  
"Something in Italian." Aveline stood up. "Ezio, first of all, calm down, second of all, speak English."  
Ezio sat back down and buried his face in his arms with a moan.  
"Aw," Jacob chuckled. "Someone just got robbed of his manhood."  
"Here." Desmond put a plate in front of Shay with two pancakes. "Enjoy your prize, buddy."  
Shay stared at the pacakes on the plate, then looked at Ezio.  
"Uh-oh." Edward laughed. "That guilt is written all over your face, Shamrock."  
Shay picked up one of his pancakes and nudged Ezio's arm. The Italian lifted his head. "What do you want- wait, is that mine?"  
The Templar nodded and put it on the table.  
"Feeding the enemy." Haytham smiled. "Ah, well."  
Desmond rubbed his eyes with his fists, then stared at Shay. "Was that- was that an act of remorse? From a Templar? Who hates Assassins with a passion? Who kills them? Who-"  
"We, um, we get it." Connor rolled his eyes. "He did something nice. Now stick a Pepsi in his face."  
Shay shrugged.  
"Wha, no Pepsi fear anymore?" Ezio asked through a mouthful of his food. Anne shook his shoulder.  
"Two things, one; Don't talk with your mouth full. Two; What do you say?"  
Ezio swallowed and looked at Shay, smiling. "Thank you."  
Shay nodded and picked up his pancake.  
Edward lunged over the table, grabbing the pancake and tearing it in half.  
Then he turned and raced out of the room. "Victory! I have the food!"  
Shay looked after him, then slowly set his half down and looked at Haytham, asking with his eyes if the Grandmaster would speak for him.  
Haytham nodded. "He says he'll be back."  
"You know what he's saying?" Ziio asked.  
"How?" Altaïr stood and crossed his arms. "That's impossible."  
"Hmm. Must be a Templar thing."' Jacob thought out loud. "I wonder if we crack open their skulls and get a good look of their brains-"  
"Uh, no one's looking at anyone's brains, thank you very much." Desmond said. "Wait, Shay, where are you going?"  
"After Edward," Haytham said.  
"Wait, why don't you let him run around the house? I'm pretty sure he thinks he's being chased. It would just be funny to see him come back all tired." Aveline laughed.  
"Yeah, he's done worse. Like that time Blackbeard and friends asked him if his skull was was so thick they could crack a glass bottle over it and he wouldn't pass out." Mary said.  
"That was your idea." Anne chuckled. "Blackbeard tried and almost broke the bottle, then Calico, then Hornigold. Remember Hornigold broke his finger and Edward didn't wake up for almost two days?"  
"He- he did that?" Haytham asked. "I refuse to belive he would do something like that."  
"Hold a moment, what about the bottle?" Ziio asked. "Did it break?"  
Mary shook her head. "Adèwalé- our voice of reason- wisely took the bottle away before we broke any more fingers or knocked anyone out and smashed ir on the rocks."  
"Smart." Connor observed.  
"Is Shay- Oh, great, he went after him anyway." Evie rolled her eyes. "You're not going to get that pancake back, Shay!"  
"I think he knows that." Haytham sounded amused.  
Ezio gave him a confused look. "Then why would he go after Edward?"  
"Revenge."  
"In the meantime, I am pleased to announce that the other half of Shay's pancake is now mine." Jacob sidled over and picked up the pancake piece, grinning.  
"That's mean, Jacob." Desmond waved a hand. "Whatever. I'll make some more. Might as well give Shay three, on account of what he has to put up with."  
"At least give me half!" Evie growled. Jacob reluctantly tore the pancake in half and gave her a piece. "Twin taxes."  
"I don't believe in taxes." Connor growled.  
"Order, son. Order." Haytham shook his head and sighed. "The sooner you learn that, the better."  
"Sure." Arno eyed him suspiciously. "But freedom is always better than order."  
"No, because without order people will be free to kill, loot, and burn whatever they want!"  
"Look at this joker,"Aveliene said to Arno in French. "My guess is he really believes what he's saying."  
"I know. All Templars do." Arno replied.  
"Alright, I have a few more pancakes here. And since the boys are causing issues it's ladies first."  
"Yes!" Anne cast flirtatious smile at Ezio- the Italian's eyes boggled and he rushed to form a slick reply- and was the first at Desmond's side witha plate.  
"How many?" Desmond asked.  
"Two." Anne looked back at Ziio, Aveline, and Evie. "Mary, are you going to eat?"  
"Aye. When ah finish arm wrestling Haytham."  
"I'm voting for Britain again." Jacob said.  
"I don't even know what nationality you are." Altaïr nodded to Mary, who was bent low over the table, the muscles in her arm straining against Haytham's.  
"What?!" Came the indignant reply.


	55. Chapter 55

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> salanaland; Yep, she was an English pirate. (Or IS an English pirate.)

"Oh, a chink in that Kenway armor." Jacob announcded. "Come on. Wait, what's your narionality, again, Mary?"  
"English." The Assassin almost casually adjusted her grip on Haytham's arm. "Are you done yet? I've clearky already won."  
"For the record, our arms haven't even moved." Haytham growled.  
"It's that look that gives you away." Ziio smiled at him.  
"Oh, please. I'm not good with this arm."  
"That's what they all say!" Ezio finished off his pancake and folded his arms. "Come on, English versus Welsh."  
"I'm Welsh?" Connor asked. He whistled. "How many nationalities are you, Father?"  
"More than you think and more than I care to tell." Haytham drew in a sharp breath as his arm began to lean.  
"And it appears this Templar is low on his luck!" Jacob blared. "Will he make a comeback."  
"Shut up." Mary and Haytham both said it at the same time.  
Jacob looked hurt."Well.... fine. This announcer will announce elsewhere."  
"Oui- I have an idea! Go announce what Shay is probably doing to Edward!"  
Desmond snickered. "That sounded so fucking wrong-"  
Aveline brandished her fork at him. "Don't even go there!"  
"Fine, fine. Alright, dudes get to eat now." He turned back and leaned against the counter, watching the wrestling match with a bored look. "I should go and show you guys some WWE."  
"What's that supposed to- bloody hell!" Mary slammed Haytham's hand against the table.  
"And will you look at thatfolks, in the wink of an eye, three egos have been destroyed as of yet!" Evie put her plate of pancakes on the table with a grin. "This is rich."  
"Um, not egos.... Mahood. Two Templars and an Assassin." Altaïr corrected. "There is a difference."  
"I highly doubt it." Haytham rubbed his hand and scowled. "I want a rematch."  
"Oh, and he's in for a second humiliation-"  
Connor slapped a hand over Jacob's mouth. "Mary, what say you?"  
"Ah say ah'm up for another try." Mary said smugly. "If 'e's willing to."  
"Where's my fellow Irishman?" Anne asked.  
"But what about your Italian?" Ezio gave her puppy eyes. She looped an arm around his neck.  
"Just looking for someone with an Irish lilt. You get bored of hearing British accents all the time." She nodded to Haytham.  
"Well, I apologize if my way of speaking is boring." Haytham crossed his arms.  
"Either way, that silence isn't good." Ziio said. "He should be yelling. Or laughing. Or shrieking. Or something."  
"Alright, guys, you know Shay won't kill him-" Desmon assured them.  
"There's nothing saying he can't severely wound him, either." Jacob cut in. "I say we tie both of these Templars to each other and make them live like that-"  
"Thanks for your input, Jacob, now did you guys not hear me when I said you can line up for your pancakes?"

***  
"Once everyone finally got their secondary breakfast- Edward had eventually walked back in, holding his stomach and cursing Shay- Desmond was able to sit down, and he actually managed to have decent conversations with the female Assassins. What started as a poll from Edward and Jacob as to where the best women came from turned into the most conflicted and deep decision some of them had ever seemed to make.  
Shay thought they came from Havana (He had brought the globe from the library and pointed until they finally understood what he was trying to say.) and Edward seemed to suprise himself by agreeing. Haytham had stated almost proudly they were the Native Americans- Ziio had looked more than pleased with herself.  
"All wrong, damn it." Ezio said. "The best ladies are the Irish and the Italians."  
"No, them Spaniards." Jacob whistled.  
Arno looked exasperated. "I am telling you, nobody beats the French."  
"I'm more for the Saudis." Altaïr smiled and put his fork down, already having finished his pancakes.  
"Why are we even talking about this?" Connor asked suddenly.  
Every man at the table froze and looked at him, disbelief written all over their faces.  
"You're kidding." Arno said.  
"No, I am not kidding. Why don't we talk about this.... uh... spoon?"  
"Where the hell did we go wrong, Ziio?" Haytham asked. She shrugged.  
"Well, you helped make him! Everything he does is your fault."  
"What about Aveline-" Altaïr began.  
Connor jumped on him, grabbed Shay's bandana from around his neck (Shay made a choking noise that was ignored by all but Haytham.) and tied it tightly around the Assassin's mouth.  
"Are you going to blame that on me, too, Ziio?" Haytham crossed his arms.  
"As a matter of fact, yes." She ignored his glare and laughed.  
"That....." Mary began. "Was an act of bravery."  
Shay fell off his chair laughing.  
"Someone help him up before he chokes on his food." Desmond said wearily. "Jesus, Connor."  
Altaïr crabbled uselessly at the bandana, making sounds of panic and anger.  
"Am I wrong for voting we leave him like that?" Edward inquired.  
The rest of the table agreed with him.  
"Sorry, champ. Join the club of silence. Members include you and Shay." Desmond laughed.  
Altaïr kept trying to untie the bandana, making muffled curses and threats at Connor.  
"Uh... how tight did you tie that?'' Mary asked.  
"Haytham's fault." Ziio held up her hands. This time the Templar wasn't having it.  
"I've never been good with knots and you know it. That came from you."  
"Oooohh, Templar actually has a good comeback." Ezil snickered.  
"Come over here and say that!"  
"Maybe I will."  
"Maybe you won't." Arno intervened. He shot a pointed look at Aveline and finished the rest in French. "He just tied up the greatest Assassin who ever lived to keep him from putting you two together. I don't know about you, but I would thank him."  
She nodded and put a finger to her lips, flicking her eyes at Connor.  
"Shay, don't you dare." Evie help a hand as the Templar finally got to his feet and stood behind Altaïr, his hand poised to untie the bandana.  
"He wants his bandana back." Haytham said.  
"You'll get it back, mate.... just not anytime soon." Edward smiled wryly. "Not that you need it."  
"He's a Templar wuss, of course he needs it." Jacob declared.  
"Oh, great, you pissed him off. Now you have to run." Evie laughed.  
"Run, Forrest, run..." Desmond whispered under his breath, as Shay lunged at Jacob. The Assassin squirmed out of his grasp and darted out of the room. Shay followed, howling his threat.  
"What was that?" Ziio asked.  
"Nothing."


	56. Chapter 56

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; xD Don't worry Connor!  
> PoisonHw; Sometimes I wonder what traits came from who- other times it's rather obvious for that fellow (Although he's rather big, and Haytham isn't the largest of men.)  
> Katie; Just a bit. I wanted to add Adé in too but the group is rather large- I think I might make Adéwale, Henry, Elise, Marie, and a few others their own fic.  
> salanaland; He has yet to meet her from the time zone he's been taken, but in the book it was love at first sight.  
> Allessandra; Thanks! I definately will try ;) Henry will probably feature in another fic that follows the same Warped story with a few others, if anyone would like. Our group is a little big and Abstergo's about to be shut down for several hours. *Hehe*  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Only them Irish! Connor shoulda gotten himself a girl in ACIII.

After another long debate over whether or not Templars were humans or animals- Haytham eventually declared that the next person who called him an animal would be unable to speak for weeks, prompting them to finally drop the matter- Desmond's ancestors finished their secondary breakfast and the group dispersed into various activites of their own. Evie and Ezio both wanted to find Jacob and save him from a horrible fate, so they preceded to race each other up the stairs (Evie won, resulting in an argument that nearly cost her his life.). Desmond turned on Pirates of the Carribean, so Edward, Anne, and Mary were rooted to the T.V, cursing anyone who dared interupt their pirate movie. Altaïr, Arno, Aveline, Connor, Haytham, and Ziio went back outside to have what they called a snowfight- which would probably result in of them covered in snow.  
"But that's not what pirates do," Edward huffed. "Look at that! Is that what pirates do, Mary?"  
"You poor bloke." She laughed.  
"I don't see what the problem is, guys. It's... I mean.... Jack Sparrow's not even real." Desmond raised both eyebrows and smiled. "See?"  
Anne gasped. "He's not? Then how the hell is he on that thing you call T.V-"  
"Because, it's a movie. Depicting stuff that hasn't happened or never will."  
"But that's completely- I demand to know why this is called a pirate movie!" Edward growled.  
"You know what, there's your new nickname. Jack." Mary elbowed him and laughed.  
Edward cursed. "And you? I'm calling you Sparrow."  
"Not sure how you think that's clever. If you stick your names together, you get 'Jack Sparrow'. Not clever!" Anne proclaimed.  
"Oh, really?" Edward crossed his arms. "It's perfectly clever."  
"Yeah, no. Sorry guys." Desmond found himself agreeing with Anne. "Not clever."  
"Let's see what Altaïr thinks, then." Mary said.  
"If you can pull him out of his Snow Revolution. You'd think he's seen snow before, but no. Just.... who hasn't seen snow at that age?!" Anne asked.  
"Um, he hasn't, I guess. You could go ask him." Desmond replied.  
"I will." Edward stood up and held up his arms. "I, the only man in the room shall ask him."  
"The fuck you say....?" Desmond demanded.

***  
Ziio crept onto the branch, careful not to kick any snow toward the ground. This had to be executed perfectly if she and her son intended to nab Haytham and Arno.  
The two spoke in low voices from where they stood beneath the tree, occasionally looking around to find make sure Altaïr and Aveline were keeping their buisiness.  
In the tree branch beside her, Connor froze as Arno suddenly turned. The Frenchman peered around the tree at Altaïr, and he relaxed.  
She beckoned to her son. One, two-  
Laughing, Ziio dropped down from the tree, grasping the back of Haytham's shirt and dumping a handful of snow down his back.  
"Ziio-" He arched his back and yowled, grabbing for the back of his shirt.  
She looked aside and watched Arno meet the same fate, then turned and put her hands in the air, shouting to Altaïr and Aveline.  
"Templar and Conspirer down!" Connor blared.  
Haytham dropped to his knees and writhed, clawing at his back. "How in the bloody hell is this funny?!"  
Arno flopped onto his belly in the snow, his hands pressed against his shirt. "It's so cold!"  
"You-" Connor pointed at his father- "You deserve this for your being a Templar-"  
"Son, that is not a valid argument-"  
"And you don't deserve this, you just happened to be in the crossfire." Ziio gave Arno a withering look.  
"I'll get revenge!" Arno growled in French.  
"Um...." Edward poked his head out of the glass door. "Altaïr?"  
"Yes?"  
"Have you ever seen snow before coming here?"  
"Not... really?"  
"All I needed to know." He disappeared inside.  
"What was that about?" Aveline asked.  
"Who cares? We got a Templar to squirm!" Altaïr pumped his fist and whooped.

***  
"It's a fucking mute Templar and an idiot. Where the hell could they go?" Evie muttered. "Ezio, you see them?"  
"Possibly." The Italian grabbed her arm and leaned around the wall, peering into the room. "Look....?"  
"Whoa."  
Jacob sat at the computer, and Shay stood behind him, his arms crossed and his lips pulled up in a smug grin.  
Evie watched a smile tug at Ezio's lips. "Do you care about your brother being terrified?"  
"Not really. If he pisses himself it's a plus." Evie whispered.  
"Good. Have you heard of Slenderman?" Ezio knew this would be funny. It was only a matter of time before Jacob stumbled across this Slenderman fellow and had a complete panic attack.  
"No... is that what he's playing?" Evie squinted at the computer. "So... what now?"  
"Wait...." Ezio gently pulled her back.  
Suddenly there was a shrill scream and Jacob seemed to fly out of the room, panicking so much he failed to see the wall in front of him before he slammed his head against it.  
Ezio slid down the wall, laughing so hard his laughter was silent.  
Evie chuckled and crouched by her brother, feeling for a pulse. Once she verified he was alive, she allowed herself to laugh as hard as she could.  
"Check the-" Ezio gasped. "Check the Templar-"  
She peered into the room, searching for the flash of red of Shay's shirt. He was lying on the bed, his sides and shoulders shaking. Laughing, too.  
"What was that?" William's voice wafted through the closed door of the room he was working in with Shaun and Rebecca.  
"Um... Just... Jacob being Jacob.... You know how he is, right?" Evie swallowed her laughter momentarily.  
"Is anyone dead?"  
"Uh... Of laughter?""  
"Any blood?"  
"No."  
"Tell him to walk it off." Came the reply.


	57. Chapter 57

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; No problem (They would definately start squabbling or something xD) Ever heard Miracle of Sound? His Father's Son, My Revolution, and Beneath the Black Flag are the best!  
> salanland; I can see that!  
> Allspark5101; Hmm, we shall see ;) Wait, I'm not the only person who likes Transformers Prime?! O.o I knew Desmond sounded familiar, but I could never place it *Runs off to watch TFP*

"Now who's that joker?" Edward asked, pointing at the T.V.  
"That's Blackbeard, Edward." Desmond rolled his eyes.  
The Assassin stalked to the T.V. and rapped his knuckles against the screen, his brow furrowed in a quizzical look.  
"Edward, move." Mary threw a pillow at him.  
"Fine, fine. I don't believe that's Blackbeard. He doesn't act like that."  
"True that. He and Ben are both big softies." Anne looked around. "Speaking of softy, where's Ezio?"  
"I think he went upstairs to find Shay and Jacob." Desmond turned on his phone and found some music, then put one of his earphones in, trying his best to be discreet.  
"What's that?"  
Damn you and your curiosity, Edward.  
"Just.... um... some music?"  
"Can ah see?" Mary asked.  
"Why not. C'mere."  
She sideled over and he out his earphone to her ear, watching her slowly start to smile. "Jack, he's singing about Jack Sparrow!"  
"What?" Edward- not gently- took the earohone from Desmond and held it close to his head, one eyebrow raised. "What's it called?"  
"Mmmm...." Desmond checked his phone. "Jack Sparrow."  
"Just that?" Mary questioned.  
"Shh!" Anne swiped the T.V remote from the couch and tried to flip through the channels. "Someone go find the Templar."  
"Which one? My son or the lucky one?" Edward snickered. "No way in hell that... thing came from me."  
"He's not a thing." Desmond said sourly. "And give me that back."  
"Actually...." Mary cocked her head and hissed through her teeth.  
"Don't you dare say it." He growled.  
"Ah can and ah will. You look just like him."  
"Or is it reverse?" Desmond mused out loud. "What if he looks just like you?"  
Edward pointed to Desmond. "I like how you think."  
"How about this. I'll get to come back inside and take a picture of you two side by side."  
"I am not standing by him for longer than ten seconds." Edward snapped. "So make it bloody quick."  
Mary jumped to her feet and raced for the outside, pausing just long enough to feel for the tricky glass door. She poked her head out, scanning for the others.  
"Connor, where's Haytham and...." The words died in her throat as Haytham stood in the snow and trudged toward her, glaring at his feet. Behind him, Arno followed, ignoring the chuckles of Ziio and Connor.  
"What happened to you two?" Mary asked.  
"Technically speaking, Ziio did." Haytham muttered.  
"Why are you and Arno all wet?"  
"They dumped snow down our backs!" Arno exploded. "It's cold!"  
It slowly dawned on Mary what had happened and she grinned. "Be glad they didn't dump it down the front of your pants."  
Both Arno and Haytham made noises of mock pain and on her command followed her into the living room.  
"Alright-" Desmond stood up and brandished his phone. "Why don't we get Connor in here to boot?"  
"Haytham, when you're done with that, help me change the channel." Anne said.  
"Done with what?" He asked.  
"Just stand next to Edward." Mary pushed him and a very reluctant Edward right up beside each other, their backs to the wall.  
"Stand up stright. Arno, what you're doing is considered photo-bombing, stop giving Edward bunny ears."  
"You have a bomb?!" Arno threw himself behind the couch.  
"Face me, damn it." Desmond snapped at the pirate. Finally the two were standing side by side and he took the picture. "Done."  
Arno peered up from behind the couch. "But nothing happened. I wanted to see a Templar go boom."  
"And I was hoping to see the same happen to you." Haytham objected.  
"Stop your fighting." Edward clouted Haytham on the ear- to his suprise, the Templar actually clamped his mouth shut, almost like a child, and obeyed him.  
"Here." Desmond went to show them the picture. "See? You two do look alike."  
"Now how the hell did you just-" Haytham began.  
"It's a miniature Observatory! Sparrow, we found it!" Edward cried.  
"What? We did? Show me!"  
"Who's Sparrow?" Arno asked.  
"No, guys, it's not an Observatory. It's a phone. See? You and Haytham look almost exactly the same, just different... well, colors."  
"So no Observatory?" Mary put an hand on Edward's shoulder. "It's alright. We'll find it."  
"Haytham, damn it, come help me with this!" Anne threw the remote at Haytham and it struck his arm with a dull thump.  
"Lovely." The Templar retrieved it and gazed steadily at the T.V. "What are you looking for, exactly?"  
"Not Pirates of the Carribean." Mary grumbled. "That is exceedingly rediculous."  
"How about this?" Edward grabbed Haytham's arm and indicated that he stopped flipping through the channels. "It's called Black Sails."  
"Oh, um... Anne, you might not like this." Desmomd said.  
"Why?" She asked. "Does it involve Templars?"  
"Really?" Haytham crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "You people are impossible."  
"I wonder if William has a Hidden Blade anywhere around here." Arno said pointedly.  
"I have the one Shay gave me." Edward smiled. "I could do some Templar killing."  
"No killing anyone." Desmond cut in.  
"Thank you!" Haytham proclaimed. "These bloody fools-"  
"No way in hell." Anne deadpanned, glaring up at the T.V. screen.  
"What?" Arno asked. "Is something wrong?"  
"Are you kidding me? That woman is not me. She doesn't even- she's not even Irish!"  
"Aaaaand here it is- Haytham, change it before she punches the T.V screen." Desmond motioned to the remote. "Now, please."  
"Working on it."  
"How is it you're the only one who knows how to work that thing?" Edward inquired. "If you truly came from me, then I should be able to do that, too!"  
"Don't get your breeches in a twist over it, then. Just press the numbered buttons." Haytham handed him the remote. "It's rather simple."  
"Since you need the help of an especially simple man, Haytham." Arno giggled.  
Edward turned on him. "What the hell just came out of your mouth?!"

***  
Ezio finally composd himself- Jacob was still knocked out and Evie had flopped on the bed beside Shay (Both were still laughing, and whenever they looked at each other they'd collapse in another bout of giggles.)- and made his way downstaies, looking for something to drink.  
He carefull stepped around Mary, Anne, Desmond, and Haytham, who were holding and enraged Edward brandishing a T.V remote at Arno, who cowered behind the couch, and peered into the kitchen.  
He pulled open the fridge door and peered around, lookong at all the different drinks. Pepsi- maybe he could use that against Shay to get him to back off from Anne. Some root beer- Edward's favorite drink, surely, whatever it was. Orange juice- someone had taken a quill pen or something and written in big, sloppy letters 'Altaïr'. He could guess who that belonged to. And (What was this?) Mtn. Dew.  
He pulled the little green bottle out and froze at the sound of the glass door opening.  
"What are you doing?" Connor asked.  
"Um..." Ezio studied the bottle. "Mtn. Dew."  
"Didn't answer my question, but I'll take it... What's Mtn. stand for?"  
"I don't know. Let's ask your father." Ezio and Arno had secretly agreed to call the Templar the Living Dictionary, since he seemed to know more than he ought to have about various languages and words.  
"Father?" Connor begrudgingly called.  
"I'm busy- what?" Came the strained reply.  
"What does M-T-N mean?"  
"With a dot next to it?"  
"Yes!"  
"Stop yelling back and forth." Desmond barked.  
"It means mountain. Unless it's someone's initials-"  
"Thank you!" Connor cut him off. "So there you have it, Ezio. Mountain Dew."  
"I'm going to try it." Ezio declared.  
"What? But you don't know if it belongs to William."  
"Who cares?" Ezio grinned and twisted the cap careful. "It's fizzy like the soda Shay's afraid of."  
"Smells strong, too. Are you sure you're not drinking acid?" Connor asked.  
"Si." He lifted the bottle to his lips and rook a sip. "It tastes lemony."  
"Let me try." Connor swiped the bottle from him and took a swig, then lowered it and shook his head. "Disgusting."  
"Well, I like it." Ezio said.  
"Then I dare you to drink the rest of it."  
"Right now?"  
"Si." Connor replied, smiling.  
Ezio shrugged. "Fine."  
Five minuates later, he slammed the empty bottle down and tapped the counter, feeling slightly more energized.

***  
"Let's go inside." Altaïr shivered. "I'm getting cold."  
"Your hair is still wet." Ziio commented. "Are you coming, Aveline?"  
"One moment." The Assassin finished her fort- it looked quite extravagant- and stood back. "Alright, I'm done."  
The three of them trudged inside, shaking snow from their shoulders and feet.  
They froze in the doorway of the living room, gazing upon the Assassin and Templar with quizzical looks.  
Arno was locked in a headlock by Edward, Mary was trying to pull him off the Frenchman, Haytham and Connor were arguing over just what exactly had gone down (A documentry about the American Revolution had been discovered by Haytham and the father and son were getting more animated as to who was a Templar or not.). Desmond was busy asking why Ezio was attempting to climb the stairs using the banister and not the actual stairs themselves, and Anne paced below the Italian, in case he fell. Shay and Evie had come down and were currently wrestling in the corner- it seemed Evie was winning. Jacob was nowhere to be seen (Odd.).  
"Sacrebleu! Arno!" Aveline raced to help the Frenchman, and Edward finally let go, sitting back with a loud, "I am not especially simple!!!"  
"I'm cold." Altaïr groaned. "Desmond, do you have a jacket?"  
"Ezio, why the hell are you freaking hyper- what, Altaïr?"  
"A jacket." Altaïr said.  
"You got cold quickly." Ziio observed. "Like Haytham used to."  
"I am absolutely certain he was a Templar and- I did not, that was merely because I was sick."  
"Ah, yes, you were sick the six months you came to the frontier for me." Ziio smiled at him.  
"I was ill-prepared." He retorted.  
"Someone's got a crush-" Arno's tease was caught mid-sentance by a pillow stuffed into his face, courtesy of Haytham.  
"Yeah, I got a jacket." Desmond rolled his eyes at his ancestors' squabbles and took the white one he wore off, handing it to Altaïr.  
"Thank you." The Assassin pulled it on and smiled. He already felt more warm. "What exactly is going on in here?"  
"Let's see...." Aveline studied the room, for a moment. "One wrestling match a Templar is losing, one accident waiting to happen involving an Italian and the floor, one Templar Grandmaster is probably red in the cheeks-"  
"It's hot in here." Haytham buried his face in his hands.  
"So is another lady who's name begins with Z-"  
"It's hot in here." Ziio pretended to study the wall behind her with a keen interest.  
"One T.V is about to be broken by an angry Mohawk man, one remote is about to be broken over a French Assassin's head by a certain captain... oh, and we have no idea where Jacob is."  
"Well, that was...." Desmond trailed off, searching for the right words.  
"Englightening." Altaïr offered.  
"Ezio, you're going to fall." Anne said for the fifth time.  
"WhatareyoutalkingaboutI'mperfectlyfine!"


	58. Chapter 58

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PoisonHw; Yep, I fixed that error- Thanks for catching that! (I'm learning French and it's in my blood, but I need to stop spelling foreign words as they sound)  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Lost of stuff happens with these fellows. After all, most of them are related xD  
> Allspark5101; Hmm- that's tough. Optimus Prime, Arcee, Bulkhead and Smokescreen for me, and we like the same Decepticons, although I guess Megatron's okay because he keeps reminding me of Blackbeard for some reason.

It took a while, but Desmond finally got his ancestors and friends situated (Ezio wouldn't stop bouncing his foot until Haytham finally got so irritated he planted both feet on Ezio's toes and refused to move them until he promised to stop 'being so bloody hyper'.).  
He looked at his watch and had to look twice. "Damn, it's already three. I wonder what Dad's going to make for dinner-"  
"You're figuring that out yourself, young man!" William shouted down the stairs. "Rebecca, Shaun and I are trying to come up with a plan on getting your- uh, friends- back home!"  
"Oh, hell. So what do you guys want for dinner, then?"  
"Meat." Connor, Haytham, Altaïr, and Evie all said it at once.  
"Um, alright, so we have four people for meat. Anything else?"  
"Havesometaste. MakesomethingItalian!"  
"You know what, Ezio, I heard Italian, so that's what I'm going with. Shay, what do you want?"  
The Templar looked up from where he was wrestling with Evie and clicked his tongue indecisively. "Well?"  
"Fish." Haytham said slowly. The Hunter pointed at him and nodded.  
"Mysterious Templar ability." Arno chuckled and waved his hands in front of Haytham's face. "Can you communicate with the Precursors?"  
"In your dreams." Haytham muttered.  
"I want some more French fries and chicken." Arno finally left the Templar alone and sat back on the couch.  
"Me, too." Aveline said. "Some of you don't have any taste. And by some of you I mean the first four."  
"Hey! Meat is very good for you. Helps you be strong so you can beat the shit out of Templars. Observe." Evie grabbed the front of Shay's shirt, whirled him around, and slammed him up against the wall. He yowled and lunged forward, tackling her onto the floor.  
"Yes!" Haytham laughed.  
"Damn it, Evie." Edward grumbled. "Aside from that, I think I like the idea of fish for dinner."  
"Did he just agree with an Assassin Hunter?" Mary asked. "What the hell are you thinking, Jack?"  
"Who the fuck is Jack?" Evie asked, before kneeing Shay in the stomach.  
"What I'm thinking is that I'm hungry and someone said fish and now I want fish."  
"Betterlistentohim-"  
Desmond chucked a pillow at Ezio. "Hey, bud, if my suspicions are correct you'll have some sort of sugar crash in the next few minutes. Better conserve all that excess energy."  
"Allthatwhat-"  
Ezio slumped over, his eyes closed.  
"Is he really sleeping?" Ziio went over and poked him in the ribs.  
"Hey! Nobody touches that Italian but moi!" Anne protested.  
"And the Irish are speaking French." Arno said. He and Aveline laughed.  
"Holy shit, he's really asleep. This fellow has one weird sleeping pattern." Edward muttered.  
Evie's foot struck the easy chair Altaïr was sitting on and he stood up. "Damn it, you two, here I come."  
"Better run, Templar!" Ziio exclaimed.  
"Are you an Assassin?" Mary asked suspiciously.  
"Not officially."  
Connor smiled.  
"Alright, guys, that's enough- Altaïr- what the fuck are you going to do? Hey, someone stop him!"  
Anne jumped up and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him down into the chair. "Stay away from those two. With any luck Evie will win."  
Suddenly Evie sat up, grabbing her stomach. "He kicked me in the stomach-" She gasped.  
"Oh, nobody messes with my sister!" Jacob had been slowly walking down the stairs, but at the sight of Shay and Evie, he took the last few steps angrily. "Shay Shamrock Patrick Cormac!"  
The Templar scrambled to his feet, but wasn't fast enough. Jacob was on him in a split second, beating his shoulders and head with his fists.  
"For some reason that long list of four names was funny." Mary giggled as she spoke, and eventually was joined by Edward and Aveline.  
"Anyone going to help Shay?" Desmond asked.  
Haytham stood up and marched forward, about to grab Jacob and haul him off the Assassin Hunter, but Evie sprang to her feet and pushed him aside. "Leave him alone. He can do what he likes."  
Haytham scowled and wrapped one arm around Jacob's chest (The Assassin was a little smaller than him, and was actually teased by Evie because he didn't weight that much.) and walked back to the couch with him squirming in his grasp.  
"Hey! Let me go! Drop me this instant, you dirty British Templar!"  
"I'm not dirty, I'm actually Welsh, and it's Grandmaster to you." He dumped the writhing Assassin onto the couch.  
"Why's there a bruise on your head?" Arno inquîred curiously.  
Almost immediately Evie and Shay burst out laughing.  
"What's so funny?" Connor eyed them nervously as he spoke.  
"Hey!" Desmond shouted, holding out his hands. Everyone froze and looked at him with wide eyes. "I still gotta make all of you some dinner. Who here can cook?"  
Evie, Anne, Aveline, and Arno raised their hands.  
"Only four? Well, because you can cook, you get to pick what we have for dinner."  
Everyone elses' hand shot up.  
"No way in hell. You guys don't know jow to cook a good meal and you know it. The only person I can believe is Haytham."  
"Sissy." Jacob pretended to cough when he said it. Haytham slapped his ear.  
"Knowing how to cook isn't being a sissy, it's being self-efficient. And all I really know is basic. I doubt any of you even know what a casserole is."  
"Um.... something delicious?" Edward asked.  
"No, a casserole is- never mind. The four who know how to cook, meet me in the kitchen, everyone else, no arguing or suddenly sneezing." He looked at Shay, who smiled sheepishly.  
Ziio sat back against the couch. "Did I just get left here with... with him?" She pointed at Haytham.  
"Hah!" Connor exclaimed.  
Haytham frowned. "But I thought you liked being left in here."  
It dawned on Altaïr first. "Well, you know that paralyzed feeling you get when you really like something and it's like walking on a wire-"  
Haytham and Ziio both threw a pillow from the couch at him.  
Shay pulled himself to his feet and stretched, leaning against the wall. He shot an odd look at Connor's parents, a mix of suprise and mischievousness.  
Edward and Mary caught on and sidled over to him.  
"What are you thinking?" Mary whispered.  
Shay pointed to Ziio and Haytham, sitting on the couch with a very tense Connor between them.  
"He wants to know if he can speak." Edward said loudly.  
Haytham nodded. "He can."  
"Alright, I want to see if we can get those two to reconcile." Shay murmured.  
"You want to put Ziio and Haytham together? But it's like dealing with fire and ice." Edward frowned. "I doubt we'll actually be able to do it. It'll require some luck."  
"I make my own luck." Shay gave a wry smile. "Let's get them to go outside and ambush them-"  
"With a sword?" Mary asked hopefully.  
"No! I mean with snowballs. See if we can get them to work together."  
"What about Connor?" Edward asked. "He's under the impression that Haytham is evil."  
"He is." Mary chuckled.  
"Not really..." Edward ignored the shocked look he got from her nodded to Shay. "When should we do it?"  
"After dinner. We'll have to recruit the others." He whispered.  
Edward and Mary grinned at each other.  
"Let's do it after dinner, than." Mary said, and shook Shay's hand.


	59. Chapter 59

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dani; Maybe Connor will be forced- ahem, voluntered- to work with his parents. I like reuniting Kenways ;)  
> Allspark5101; Frank Welker just has that Darth-Vader rasp built in- Oooh! Flip over the Autobots symbol. Autobots, or Darth Vader...? Also, I could never work out the scientific stuff in that show. It was always lots of shooting that brought me in. And the lack of cursing. And the subtle way they made it an all ages type of show. With epic effects.  
> IcedFireFrenzy; Your word for it is very accurate- He IS just special xD

It took almost an hour, but finally Desmond just declared he was going to McDonald's (Shay tried multiple times to ask just who McDonald was, and if he was a Templar, and Desmon'd response was; "Pretty sure it's run by Templars. The place has an evil vibe to it. Would you like some enslavement with that?") and the Assassins who wanted to cook just weren't working together properly.  
"He started it!" Evie pointed at Arno. The Frenchman cleared his throat.  
"As I recall, you're the one who wanted to try out that food in the metal cylanders-"  
"A can, you mean." Desmond cut in.  
"Can you stop arguing and let him get some food?" Connor finally raised his voice and the arguing stopped.  
"Stay here, alright. Go outside if you want, but stay the bloody hell out- holy shit, I need to get away from that Animus- but stay the hell out of my dad's way."  
"Yes, Father." Jacob rolled his eyes.  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing."  
Desmond nodded and left, slamming the door shut to signal his exit. Upon the hollow slam of the door, Desmond's dad called a muffled protest.  
"What did he just say?" Anne asked.  
"Something about slamming doors and busting eardrums." Edward shrugged, and met eyes with Shay and Mary. "Let's go outside!"  
"Last one out is a Templar...." The taunt died in Altaïr's throat as Shay and Haytham narrowed their eyes at him.  
"Last one out is the last to eat!" Mary saved him and darted for the door. She held it open for Jacob- who thanked her profusely- and once everyone was out she motioned to Ziio. "Are you coming?"  
"It's cold out there. You're all touched in the head."  
"Just... maybe Haytham will give you his jacket or whatever."  
"He's wearing a shirt."  
"Alright, maybe he'll give you his shirt."  
"But you're not supposed to be running through the snow with nothing-"  
"Jus' come outside, mate."  
"You're planning something."  
"Who? Me?" Mary asked with what she hoped was honest innocence.  
"Come on already!" Shay threw a snowball at Mary's back. She turned and glared at him.  
"Throw another one at me and the next snowball goes down your throat. Anyway-" she looked back at Ziio- "It's no fun without the whole group. Even theTemplars, as you can well see-"'Another snowball hit her shoulder- "Damn it, Shay! Don't make me come over there!"  
Ziio slipped past hee into the snow. "Fine. But I don't trust you."  
"Got no reason to. Which is just fine by me." Mary said slyly. Edward tapped her arm and whispered in her ear.  
"Everyone's informed of the plan but Connor, Haytham, and Ziio."  
Altaïr, Jacob, Evie, Arno, and Aveline all focused on getting the three to stand together under the tree. Anne and Shay were busy making their snowballs.  
"Ready?" Arno asked.  
Connor frowned. "What do you mean-"  
"Attaaaaack!!" Edward was the one to give the order to fire.  
The Snowball Brigade of Luck (Or so Shay insisted on calling them.) pelted Ziio, Connor, and Haytham with- well, snowballs.  
Connor took to it immediately. He retaliated with his own fire, while Haytham and Ziio looked at each other with what everyone else figured was nervousness.  
"I have an idea." Ziio said. She pressed her back to his and grabbed Connor's arm. "One of you covers me, and the other helps me climb into the tree."  
"What are you going to do?" Haytham dodged a snowball, pulling Ziio and Connor with him.  
"I can hit them with snowballs from up there." She said. "If you two can, follow. Although I think you're too big."  
"I am not working with him." Connor huffed, throwing a snowball at Jacob. It hit the Assassin square in the belly and he stumbled back, shocked.  
"You just might have to." Haytham shoved Connor out of the way and took a snowball to the neck for his son. "Good enough?"  
"For now." Connor snapped. "Alright, Mother. What do you need me to do?"  
It took several tries, but finally Ziio was in the tree and balanced on the branches, hurling snowballs down at the attackers. Eventually Connor and Haytham joined her, aiding the effort.

***  
The battle ended with all of the Assassins on the ground, laughing, and the Assassin Hunter resting with his hands on his knees.  
"That was far too easy." Connor said, when Haytham started to climb down.  
"Haytham." Ziio was suprised when his gray eyes met hers.  
"Yes?"  
She was silent. What she wanted to do was more an action than a sentence.  
But Connor was here, and he definately didn't approve of anything Haytham did.... Ziio decided her son could deal with her.  
So she hooked her arms around the branch so one foot dangled in the air and the other was pressed against Haytham's knee.  
"Why did it get so quiet? Is it over? Shay?" Connor called.  
Shay nodded. "You took it out of us.... holy shit...."  
"Shit's not holy!" Evie threw a ball of snow at the Assassin Hunter. He grabbed his arm and groaned.  
"Who the hell threw that?!"  
"Mother? What are you doing. Get away from him. Mother-" Connor began. Ziio pressed her lips to Haytham's, then pulled back and smiled at him, knowing the Templar was about to loose his footing in the tree.  
"Ziio-"  
His feet and hands finally slipped entirely and he fell out of the tree into the snow below. Before she could stop him, Connor jumped up onto one of the higher branches and bounced his feet against it, shaking the snow from its position.  
"Nice, son." Haytham brushed snow from his face and looked at Ziio with wide eyes. "Did you really mean that?"  
"If it was so good you fell out of a tree, she meant it!" Altaïr pulled himself up and laughed.  
"His face!" Anne and Mary collapsed against each other in a fit of giggles.  
"I remember this one song Jacob used to sing whenever he saw me and a good-looking boy with each other...." Evie smiled at her brother,who dutifully took a deep breath.  
"Haytham and Ziio sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I- N- Bloody hell!"  
Ziio threw a snowball at him that had a chunk of ice conveniately embedded in it.  
"Nice aim." Connor commented.  
"Hey." Shay held up his hands and tilted his head. "I think Desmond's back."  
"Food!" Altaïr howled. "Out of my way, novices! The Master eats first!"  
"Excuse me? What about my handsome Italian Mentor? Wherever he went." Anne beat Altaïr to the glass door and was the first inside, throwing her arms out to greet him.  
Little did they know, the sudden appearence of hungry ancestors and their friends quite literally scared the living daylights out of Desmond, and he gave what Mary would go on to call 'A very femanine sounding scream', then dropped the McDonald's bags and raced into the living room.  
"Jaysus." Edward poked his head into the living room. "We were just having some fun. No need to go hyperventilating on us, man."  
"Or should we say, 'wo-man'?" Evie laughed.  
"Whatever...." Desmond grumbled. "Is Ezio still sleeping?"  
"Oui." Arno said from the kitchen. "He ate far too much sugar."  
"Hey, wait-" The modern Assassin looked at Ziio and Haytham, who had slunk into the living room past him. "Why are you two all smiles? Haytham never smiles."  
"I can smile." Haytham stated simply.  
"What? Haytham is smiling?!" Shay abandoned his food- which he had been picking up from the floor with the help of Connor and Altaïr- and looked into the living room. "He is!"  
"Stop getting so excited about it!" Connor shouted from where he was getting a glass of water on the kitchen.  
"Alright... let me out two and two together...." Desmond muttered, crossing his arms and studying his foot. "Connor's unhappy, Haytham's smiling, and Ziio is currently silent. The happy kind of silent....."  
Haytham bounced on the balls of his feet, and Ziio put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down."  
"Calm down?" He said the words as though they didn't exist.  
"Aha! You two-"  
"Desmond, don't say it!" Connor called.  
"-must have-"  
"Desmond-"  
"-Kissed!-"  
"I'm coming in there!!!"


	60. Chapter 60

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; I'm the same way when it comes to food xD I'm glad I made someone laugh!  
> Dragon_lord_Loki1; You're definately aren't alone, what series was your favorite?  
> Alessandra; Thanks! This fic is almost over (About one more week or so) so you wouldn't really see much of her. Although, I might make a second one with any extra- okay, not extra, Vital- characters getting pulled into this time zone, including Shao.

Eventually Desmond got his ancestors and friends seated at the table (Ezio woke up and demanded to know if he'd missed anything and why the hell Haytham was acting like he had downed a whole bottle of Mtn. Dew.) and gave them each their food, a random assortment of chicken nuggets and burgers.  
"So, what is this, exactly?" Connor poked at the hamburger in front of him.  
"Just eat it." Edward reprimanded. "It's food."  
"The Master was supposed to eat first." Altaïr grumbled. Aveline threw a chicken nugget at him.  
"Why's it in the bread?" Ezio asked. "It'll make it taste funny."  
"Wait, I have an idea." Shay picked up his burger and began trying to slide the meat out of the bread. The table fell silent, all watching what he was doing. "See? This is all you have to do." He waved the now free piece of meat and bit into it, his demeanor more proud than it ought to be.  
"Simple task for a simple man." Arno whispered to Aveline. Both of them laughed and ignored the Templar's questioning look.  
"Hey, why are you so hyper?" Desmond shot a look at Haytham. "You mean to convey that her kissing you is like someone injecting you with adrenaline?"  
"Injecting me?" Haytham tapped his foot. Connor stomped it, and he drummed his fingers on the table. Connor smashed his fist on his hand and growled through his teeth.  
"I'm just glad he took it well." Jacob laughed. "Pretty girl like that shouldn't be running around with Templars, though."  
It was Haytham's turn to growl. "Excuse me? You're the one who doesn't know his arse from the glass door-"  
"Oh, just leave him alone." Ziio said. She ignored Jacob's shocked stare.  
"Someone defended me?!" He shouted. "That's-"  
"Watch it, Assassin." Haytham warned.  
Shay nodded vigorously. "Or I'll come over there and-"  
"Alright, I'd love to see you guys bicker and argue, but it's eight o'clock. You all have to finish eating so you can sleep."  
"But I'm not tired." Ezio moaned. Evie shushed him and stole some of his chicken nuggets. "Hey! Give those back!"  
"What? I'm still hungry and Haytham's lapdog gives me the Evil Eye whenever I even look at his food."  
"What else am I supposed to do?" Shay retaliated.  
"Calm. Down." Altaïr rolled his eyes. "I'll bet the Father of Understanding is the one behind it."  
Both Shay and Haytham leapt around the table and jumped on him before anyone could stop them.

***  
It took, well, almost two hours, but eventually everyone finished their food and ceased their fighting. Altaïr, who had been tied to the chair using Haytham's belt (One of Desmond's old leather ones) and Shay had gagged him with his bandana. Afterword, Desmond took the liberty of snapping a photo before releasing him.  
"You know what," Edward said slowly, as Altaïr chased Haytham and Shay into the living room, "Haytham's pants are going to fall."  
"Right, and Shay's going to get gassed with a poison bomb." Arno chuckled. "Maybe we could try that-"  
"Forget it, guys, it's ten and I'm tired. Everyone into the lving room."  
"But can't we sleep where we want tonight?" Jacob whined.  
"Are you whining? Cut that shit out. You're an Assassin, not a baby."  
"He's a poet!" Mary shouted excitedly.  
"Just go to sleep." Desmond said wearily. "You guys are a tiring bunch. Be ready to wake up early tomorrow, too."  
"Why?" Anne asked as they filed out.  
"Because you're going home."

***  
It was dark. Really dark.  
Desmond crept down the stairs. It was late (Or should he have said early?), around two AM. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and gazed down at his ancestors, feeling his mouth pull in a smile.  
Ezio slept balanced in Anne's lap- apparently she had been reading him a Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not- and Anne's head was against his shoulder.  
Mary lay with her back against the couch, Edward on his belly, thrown over her legs (He wasn't even going to ask.). Apparently Altaïr and Shay had been fighting for the big easy chair- and at some point must have both fallen aseep- near the T.V, but Arno had come along at some time during the night, kicked them both onto the floor, and curled up there.  
Shay now lay on the floor, Altaïr sleeping with his back across his chest. Evie and Jacob lay next to each other, side by side on the floor, their hands laced behind their heads. They looked, Desmond realized, almost exactly alike. Ziio sat on one end of the couch, and Haytham was stretched out on his belly, sleeping with his head against her forearm. Connor must not have liked this, as he sat on his father's knees, his arms crossed and his chin to his chest as he slept. Aveline sat next to him on Haytham's legs, her back to Connor's arms and her head to his shoulder.  
Desmond fumbled for his phone and went for the camera app, smiling to himself. He took at least three photos, then went into the kitchen for some water, glad he could use the light from his phone so he didn't wake anyone up.  
They had work to do tomorrow.


	61. Chapter 61

Desmond trotted downstairs, pleased he was the first to wake up (Well, his dad, Shaun, and Rebecca were already awake and downstairs, but they didn't count.).  
"Hey, guys!" He shouted. "It's morning! We got work to do!"  
Aside from Shay growling through his teeth and attempting to push Altaïr off his chest, there was silence. So, Desmond went to the first person he knew would wake up the easiest.  
"Connor! The Templars are attacking!"  
Connor's eyes flew open and with a loud war cry he twisted and wrapped his hand's around Haytham's neck.  
"What-" Haytham bucked and clawed at his son's hands. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
Both of them froze when Ziio boxed their ears. "Stop it, both of you. Desmond's trying to wake us up."  
"Oh, great, now the other Templar's awake. What are you staring at, Shay?" Aveline yawned and looked at Shay, who gazed at them with a mixture of curiosity and threat. "Your master is fine."  
"Tell that to my neck. Who taught you that? Was it Achilles?" Haytham groaned.  
"No one taught me that, Father." Connor said gruffly, standing up and stretching.  
"That's your fault, Haytham, knowing how to strangle someone must be very valuable to the Templar buisness." Ziio said pointedly.  
He shrugged. "Well, I suppose it would be useful for gaining information on the Assassins and their particular whereabouts- wait a minute." He narrowed his eyes at her. "That was sarcasm."  
"Idiot." Connor mumbled under his breath.  
Desmond looked around. "Get the rest of them awake. We gotta go in less than half an hour."  
"Where are we going?" Shay asked, pushing Altaïr off his chest with both hands.  
"Home, for you." Desmond repied. "Now do what you have to. I'll be in the kitchen."  
"Can we eat something?" Aveline gave Haytham an apologetic look as she eased herself off his legs.  
"Just bread."  
"But Desmond-" Shay began.  
"Just bread, guys, trust me. You have no idea what modern food can do to you while you're being Warped or whatever."

 

***  
In less than half an hour everyone was given their original clothing and some food and told to sit in the car while Shaun and Rebecca finished reviewing some sort of build design.  
"Alright." Desmond turned and gazed at his ancestors and their friends. "You're all probably pissed at us for cramming everyone back there but the drive isn't very long. Ezio, you good?"  
"I have no idea what you mean." The Italain said blankly. "Do I have to leave my Irishwoman behind?"  
"Aw." Anne put an arm around his shoulders. "And me my Italian?"  
"Do you not know who he is?!" Mary protested.  
"I don't know who you are...." Altaïr smiled wryly at her.  
"Hey," Edward growled threateningly.  
"Wow." Evie crossed her arms and nodded. "You're being fought over, Mary. I am officially impressed."  
"I want some rum." Edward moaned.  
"Somone's going through withdrawal." Shaun snickered, folding the design plan and putting it in his pocket. He motioned to William, who in turn slowly backed the car out of the driveway and onto the road.  
"Okay, here's the game plan. We're going to be back on the rooftops. No pushing Templars off the roof, Jacob and Altaïr. I see it in your eyes. We're only going to be about a short ten minute jaunt away when we start climbing. A friend of ours- John- will be waiting for us when we get to the right rooftop. He'll get us down there. Now, Abstergo can't touch us. They're not allowed to have guards there. Once we gt to the level we need to be at, well... you guys arn't gonna like this...." Rebecca trailed off.  
"Tell us!" Arno exlcaimed, drumming his fingers on his knee in anticipation.  
"The suspense is killing him." Haytham said, prompting laughter throughout the car.  
"You're going to have to drink something that involves you forgetting... everything."  
"You're fucking with us." Edward deadpanned.  
"Not really. You see, the only way you can effectively be brought back to your time zone will in fact be your memory loss. And don't worry, it's only short term."  
"I don't trust you." Ziio crossed her arms. "I'm not doing this."  
"I'm not leaving her." Connor's voice took on an edge, and Aveline put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Ezio, are you carsick?" William called back.  
"Way to change the subject, Dad." Desmond chuckled.  
"Si... I think. This thing is so fast."  
"You should try being on a ship for six months at a time, with Jack Rackham." Anne comforted him.  
"Oh, that tosspot?" Edward rolled his eyes. "Please."  
"Who's Jack Rackham?" Shay asked.  
"Read a book!" Arno shouted.  
"Hey, keep it down!" William snarled back. "Making me crash this fucking car will do no good."  
"We're going to crash?" Ezio cried worriedly.  
"No one's crashing." Rebecca said firmly. "No need to rid yourself of your breakfast over it, buddy."  
"Why don't you play a game?" Shaun suggested.  
"I got it! Steal Jacob's funny hat!" Edward snapped his fingers.  
"Yeah? Well then I'll take your Templar son's hat." Jacob warned, pulling Haytham's hat off his head.  
"Give that back or I'll kneecap you."  
"What's that supposed to-" Jacob dropped Haytham's hat when the Templar suddenly grabbed his wrist and twisted, hard.  
"Oh, will you look at that, he just gave us a reason to throw him off the rooftops." Altaïr said dryly.  
Haytham picked up his hand and fit it back on his head. "Take it again and it'll be the last thing you do."  
"And that's where you get your temper from." Ziio smirked at Connor.  
"Oh, sure. He's the one who decided it'd would be a brilliant idea to tackle me through the wall and into what he had no idea was the water below." Haytham huffed. Connor brandished his Hidden Blade at him, and Haytham engaged his-  
"Whoa! Don't make me take those away! There will be no killing or injuring anyone!" Desmond snapped.  
"Not even a little?" Evie sounded disappointed.  
"Not even a little." Rebecca confirmed.  
"Well, then." Arno said. "That sucks."

***  
"Alright, guys, there's a reason we're in an alley." Shaun whispered. "We're climbing this building from the outside. Once at the top, we'll make our way along the buildings until we reach Abstergo."  
"Why don't we just go inside?" Edward questioned.  
"Because you're all in a fashion that died out hundreds of years ago." William said sharply. "Not to mention armed to the teeth. Now, start climbing."  
The Templars and Assassins eyed each other with disdain. Although whenever Haytham and Ziio's eyes met they seemed to soften.  
"Guess you need a demonstration. Outta my way, then." Desmond started scurrying up the side of the building, rather nimbly. Ezio noticed that the Assassin moved the same way he did, but decided not to question it.  
Arno did that for him. "How did you get as good as we did?"  
"Um....." The three modern Assassins on the ground exchanged looks. "He had a good.... mentor." Shaun said.  
Edward was the first to follow him onto the rooftops. Then Ezio. Then Mary. Until all that were left were Connor and Shay.  
"I'm going." Connor said through clenched teeth.  
"No, I want to go next."  
"It's my turn!"  
"Mine!"  
Someone threw down a rock, one that missed Shay's head by an inch.  
"One of you get up here, damn it!" Someone shouted.


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Yeah, this one turned out to be quite longer than I expected (If there's another one, it'll probably take less than thirty chapters.) and with those Fryes and Kenways, non-crazy climbing building sessions can be difficult.

It took at least five minutes for them to finally urge Connor to climb up the wall, then Shay.  
"You guys are lucky this is one of those beat up old taco houses." Rebecca said, scuffing her shoe on the concrete wall.  
"I'm confused, what's a taco?" Arno asked sincerely.  
"The most delicious food ever." Desmond grinned at him. "Maybe one day I'll label one 'Arno' and eat it for you."  
"Now I'm hungry." Altaïr groaned.  
"Save your griping. You all know how to jump across a gap and catch a ledge, right?" William snapped. He turned and pointed to the building beside them, one that trumped the old taco house they stood on.  
"Sure. Just what do you need us to- oh. Why the hell are we trying to scale this? We should just waltz into the Abstergo building." Evie mumbled under her breath.  
"Stop using newfangled words!" Haytham protested.  
"Wow. We're confusing the Living Dictionary." Ezio and Arno nodded to each other and- Desmond gawked at this- boxed their fists together.  
"Where did you learn that? Desmond, what the hell have you been teaching these people?!" Shaun demanded.  
"I have no idea where that came from....." He went silent for a while, then," Hey, um... all of you line up against the side of the rooftop."  
"I have a bad feeling about this. So close to these Assassins on a rooftop." Shay muttered. "Grandmaster, can you stand by me, away from these fellows?'  
"One is my father, one is my son, the other is-" Ziio clapped a hand over Haytham's mouth.  
"His.... very temperary... friend." She finished.  
"- But Ziio...."  
"And when you're pushed over the edge, your very temperary friend and I won't be able to save you."  
"Desmond, what are you doing?" William growled. He stepped forward to where his son was, a few paces away from the Assassins and Templars, holding up a phone.  
"Just let him do it." Shaun said quietly.  
"Yeah," Rebecca agreed.  
"Do what, exactly?" Anne asked worriedly. "Push us over the edge one by one? Templar!"  
Ezio hugged her. "Mio dio! Such morbid thinking! Desmond won't hurt us."  
"Stop this bullshit!" William raised his voice. "Put the phone back in your pocket and start climbing."  
The rooftop got quiet. Desmond turned to his father, held up his phone, then dropped it with a clatter.  
"Why did it shatter?" Edward asked in a quiet voice.  
"Dad, what's wrong with taking a picture?"  
"If Abstergo finds that-"  
"Oh yeah? This whole project will be over and done with by then, it won't even matter."  
"Desmond... just lay off." Rebecca said.  
"You know what people like Vidic will do. If they know you've been- been hanging out with people who died hundreds of years ago-"  
"Excuse me? Die?" Aveline choked.  
"Who knows what they'll do to you, and-"  
"So you're telling me that there's something wrong with taking a picture of my ancestors?" Desmond's voice was calm. Too calm.  
"Ancestors? I've really drunk it this time." Edward grabbed his head, and Mary out a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  
"Desmond's right. You're, well, I'd like to say overreacting." Shaun said matter of factly. "Abstergo should never get their hands on Desmond's phone. They'll never even catch us again, with the use of that particular fruit."  
"You mean the Apple of-" Rebecca slapped a hand over Desmond's mouth.  
"Yeah, that. Now, let's climb these buildings!"  
"Fine." Desmond stopped to pick up his phone and held it up, snapping one photo of his ancestors. "And, uh, who taught you that little thing with your fists, Arno and Ezio?"  
"Well, we saw you do it once with Rebecca." Ezio said, as though it was obvious.  
"Right... don't do it again."  
"Why not?" Arno asked.  
Desmond smiled at Rebecca. "Because.... it's insulting."

***  
After four hours they were one building away from the Abstergo building.  
"I wonder what I would land on if I jumped." Shay mused out loud, peering down toward the ground.  
"Let's find out." Jacob snickered. He grabbed Shay under the arms before the Templar could realize it and crouched, so he was the only thing connecting Shay to the building.  
"Putmebackputemeback!" Shay yowled, kicking his feet in the air.  
"Srop being such a bully!" Evie swatted the back of her brother's head and bent to help Shay up. He clung to her arm, wrapping both arms around her elbow and cursing whenever she almost faltered.  
"Hey! What the hell, guys?!" Shaun called. "Come on, one last gap. Guess who's waiting for us all the way over there?"  
He pointed to the building across from them, where a man who was rather young, with a bored look, waved.  
Edward squinted at him and nudged Mary's arm. "He look like someone to you?"  
"Aye, the Sage."  
"D'you think...."  
"Ah do and ah don't." She contemplated it, watching Haytham urge Ziio to jump from the next building. "Do you think he's your son?"  
Edward shrugged. "He does look like me, and so does that boy with two names..... for now I guess I'll take it. And I've always liked the name Haytham... If what they're telling us is true, that we were taken from seperate times, I suppose it's possible he's quite literally from the future.  
"Are you upset about Anne and Ezio?" Mary asked suddenly, casually walking toward the rooftop edge.  
"Now, that's just plain funny." He chuckled. "Ready to jump?"  
"Let's do it."

***  
"Here's the game plan." John from IT (He insisted on 'from IT') held up his hands and commanded attention. "Follow me. No sound. William tells me you've been on elevator before."  
"Yeah." Shay said, dodging a punch from Jacob aimed at his arm.  
"Hey, cut the shit. You guys aren't Templars and Assassins today. You're people. Working together to get back to your time. So, they have the building pretty much shut down. But... you all know, when you're hungry, you're hungry. On lunch break, the building is evacuated completely. Electricty is still running because Animi-"  
"It IS Animi!" Desmond blurted.  
"-use power even in syandby mode. Therefore, we'll take an elevator down to... well, I suppose you could call it a basement. But don't worry, no pointy things... ah, that is if you struggle to swallow the serum."  
"Why not stairs? I don't want Templar puke on me." Jacob leered at Shay, who stuck his tongue out and pretended to stick his finger down his throat.  
"What is it with boys and making themselves throw up?" Evie rolled her eyes.  
"For the record, he doesn't act that way around Gist." Haytham said flatly.  
"Alright, stop talking about Shay's completely fucked up behavior and instead follow John from IT." Rebecca nudged Ziio's shoulder as they began to follow John into the building from the top floor."Why so quiet?"  
"Where are you sending us?"  
"Home." William came up beside her. "In less than an hour you should be there, so don't worry."  
They made their way down from the top floor and into the building, where suddenly everyon not from the Twenty first century froze.  
"What's that big white thing with the blue thing on top?" Altaïr asked.  
"Um, there are probably fifty white and blue things on thsi floor. Be more specific. And keep those feet moving." John hurried ahead.  
"It's one of those office water dispensers." Desmond said to his ancestor. "Your equivalent to an oasis."  
"Come on, guys. In here." John checked his watch and waved them into the elevator. "We only have twenty minutes to get this done. I'd like to be out of here by then."  
"But he's a Templar-"  
Jacob's whine was cut off by an abrupt smack on the shoulder from his sister. "Honestly, didn't know you were such a baby sometimes."  
"You take that back right now, damn it!"  
"Aw, he knows how to curse." Haytham scurried out to the way to avoid Jacob's fist.  
"What's gotten into you, mate?" Edward asked Connor as they came to the elevator.  
"Those Templars. We're treating them like they're our friends. Worse, brothers."  
Edward frowned. "But isn't Haytham you're father?"  
"In blood. Nothing else."  
"Come now, you look like me, at least."  
Connor's eyes softened. "What are you getting at?"  
"Hey, are you coming?" Aveline called. "You're taking forever!"  
"Well..." Edward sighed. "I'm not saying it's true, but if someone told me you're my grandson, aside from your Native American looks, I wouldn't question it."  
"You're kidding."  
"Kenways don't kidd. If you want to joke talk to Kidd." Edward grinned and pointed at Mary as they stepped onto the crowded elevator.  
"Down into the rabbit hole...." Shaun muttered under his breath.


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Still haven't gotten very far into that game (I'm trying to take it slow and not finish it in two weeks like I did the third game.)  
> PoisonHw; Thanks for sticking with it :)

Altaïr made an exasperated noise and pushed Ezio's elbow out of his side for the third time.  
"How long is this going to take?" He growled at John from IT (Whatever IT meant.).  
"Are you a Sage?" Edward asked bluntly. Altaïr turned- nearly bowling over Ezio and Mary- and swatted Edward's arm.  
"Let him answer my question first." He snapped. "Master first, remember?"  
The Assassin scowled, "Oh, Master, eh? How about you take your Mastership and shove it up your-"  
The elevator pinged, and Aveline was the first to push past a visibly sick Shay and Ziio in order to barrel out the door.  
In their haste to escape the tiny elevator, everyone rushed forward approximately 0.02 seconds after Aveline got out, causing Assassin and Templar alike to trip over someone else's feet and land in a heap on the floor.  
"Merde. Get off me! Ezio, damn your elbows!" Arno howled. William clapped a hand over his mouth.  
"Watch the volume. We have to be quiet about this, guys."  
"Just be glad no one impaled themselves on their swords." Evie grumbled, helping her brother up.  
Edward lifted Mary to her feet. "Yeah? Wait, this place is familiar.... what happened to it?"  
Ziio and Aveline looked at each other and smirked.  
"Uh....." John droned. He tapped his watch, then tapped it again. "Lookie here, guys, say your goodbyes. We gotta be out of this place in twenty minutes."  
"This was too easy. Abstergo's gonna try this again." Desmond whispered to Rebecca.  
"I know." She put her hands on Altaïr's shoulders and guided him away from the light fixture. "I wouldn't stare at that too long, buddy."  
"But this is the last I'm going to see of them! Do you know the name of the Assassin who invented these- lightbulbs?"  
"Um... Thomas Edison?" Shaun pointed to the lightbulb and shrugged.  
"Hey, anyone know how to use this thing?" Mary kicked one of the small office water dispensers near the door.  
"Have you tried knocking it over?" Anne asked.  
"Wait, I got it." Shay held up his rifle and sighted the office water dispenser.  
"Nonononono, Shay, don't do that-" William knocked the rifle aside just as Shay pulled the trigger.  
With a loud crack, the rifle fired, and put a hole in the water dispenser.  
Water spilled out over Mary's feet, and she laughed. "Free water! Let's do it again-"  
"What the hell kind of weapon is that?" Altaïr asked. He took the rifle from Shay's hands and studied it. "An Assassin invented this! I just know it!"  
"I don't think he knows I killed a Templar for it." Shay whispered to Haytham. The Grandmaster grinned, then his eyes flicked to Ziio. "Now... who is she, exactly?" Shay continued.  
"Someone." Haytham sounded more happy than he had ever been, and Shay just shrugged. It was rare the Templar showed any emotion. Instead, he lunged for his rifle.  
"No! It's mine now, you fucking Templar! Don't make me shank you!" Altaïr raced around the small room, pushing irriated Assassins out of the way.  
From where he stood by John mixing odd bottle filled with weirdly colored liquid with the help of Shaun and Rebecca, William threw a sharp glare their way.  
"Stop it! Someone's going to get shot!"  
"Shot through the heart, and you're too late. You have us a bad name." Desmond sang in a quiet voice. Jacob clapped, and William turned his glare onto his son.  
"Intstead of singing, get that rifle away before Altaïr blowes his own brains out!"  
"He has every right to be curious-" Ezio swore in Italian as Altaïr barreled past him. "Now I'm coming for you, bastardo!"  
Shay took one final leap and tackled Altaïr onto the floor. "Give- me- back- my-"  
The rifle cracked, and the room fell quiet.  
"Help." Altaïr moaned weakly. Shay was limp against him, his head under Altaïr's chin. "I think I- I think I killed him."  
"What?!" Haytham yowled. "You little-"  
"Wait, since when do corpses laugh?" Aveline stalked over and grabbed Shay's shoulder, turning him onto his back and onto the floor. Shay gave up the ruse and rolled around at her feet.  
"I can't believe you fell for it!" He forced out, thumping the floor with his fist. Altaïr threw the rifle aside and jumped on him, engaging his Hidden Blade.  
"Wait!!" Ziio suddenly burst out.  
"What?" Jacob rolled his eyes. "Let us kill the bastard."  
"No one's killing anyone-" William began.  
"Listen to me." Ziio said. The room went silent. "Where did the bullet go?"  
All eyes swept the room, then turned up, looking at the ceiling. A small rifle shot, with cracks fanning out from it, stared serenly back.  
"You see that?" Shaun exploded. "That right there is why we have safeties!"  
"Hey." John waved his watch arm. "Doesn't matter whether or not we killed someone. Everyone needs to line up."  
"Why?" Anne asked. "And you look like the Sage fellow Edward's looking for."  
"Can we borrow some of your blood?" Edward piped up.  
"You can't borrow blood, you moron." Jacob said dismissively.  
"Nah, I'm good." John replied.  
The Assassins and Templars slowly lined up.  
"So, um... alright, this is the memory serum. You guys are to drink this and wait for five seconds before entering that." Desmond waved his hand at the door-sized contraption behind him.  
"Entering what? It looks like if you 'enter' it, you'll pass right through." Ezio sounded confused.  
"Right. I said, wait five seconds before entering that." Desmond waved his hand again and looked at Rebecca.  
"Still nothing." Haytham noted.  
"Shaun, you and Rebecca have this thing worked out right? Well, explain it to 'em." Desmond stepped aside as Shaun walked over. The British man gave an all-knowing smirk to his friend and crossed his arms.  
"Would you like the scientific explanation or the pointlessly stupid one?"  
"The stupid one." Everyone said in unison.  
Shaun scowled, then looked at Desmond. "And to think, you come from these idioti."  
"We're speaking Italian now?" Ezio opened his mouth and took a breath like he was about to rant in his language. Anne put an arm around his neck.  
"I don't think he knew what he was saying," She chuckled.  
"Right, well, as I was saying, you're all to swallow the memory serum and step into this." He pointed to the machine, and thsi time, it sputtered and cracked, filling with a swirling blue vortex.  
"Got it!" Rebcca said triumphantly.  
"Actually, that was me." John from IT laughed. His laughter was followed by a yelp of pain from Rebecca's fist.  
"Once you step into it, you'll be rendered unconcious. Most of you, if not all of you, were taken while you were sleeping. You'll wake up when you reach... well, home."  
"You're sure?" Ziio eyed him suspiciously.  
Shaun nodded. "I'll stake my life on it."  
"Finally there's something we understand." Connor said dryly. He looked back at the William, who stood under the new hole in the ceiling. "So what will you do when we're gone?"  
"Oh, Abstergo will probably do this again at some point." Desmond lifted a shoulder. "Who knows... who cares?"  
"And Shay, you're first in line. Good luck." Rebecca said.  
"Stop wishing me that! Don't you know I make my own luck?"


	64. Chapter 64

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; Altaïr won't be too sorry to see him go! Haytham might, though.

Shay glared at the vial before him. "Why do I have to be first?"  
"You put yourself there, dumbass." Evie snickered.  
"What does it taste like?" Ezio asked. "It looks like it could be orange flavored."  
"It must prevent scurvy, then." Edward tipped his head back, and raised the vial to his lips.  
"Father, no!" Haytham sounded terrified.  
Edward slowly dropped his hand and shrugged. "Tastes like... oranges."  
"That's my favorite flavor!" Jacob exclaimed.  
"Hey, Edward." John waved his hand and beckoned the Assassin toward the machine. "Step into this."  
"Step into it? Why?"  
"See you in the West Indies." Mary sighed. "And the Templar still didn't go."  
"He did it, not me." Shay grumbled.  
Edward slowly stepped toward the vortex. "Reminds me of the sea."  
Then he stepped through it and was gone.  
"Aw." Anne said. "At least I still have my Italian- Ezio! What are you doing?"  
The Assassin lowered the empty vial from his lips and shrugged. "What? I got thirsty."  
"Well, I guess we know who's going next." Aveline nudged his shoulder. "Go on."  
"Fine, fine." Ezio waved a hand and stepped forward. "Wait, where am I going again?"  
"Firenze." Desmond said.  
The Italian nodded. "Right. Addio, beatiful."  
With one last look at Anne he disappeared.  
"Well, then." Jacob chirped. "I vote we make Haytham go next."  
"Now that is completely unfair." The Templar crossed his arms, careful not to spill the orange vial.  
"Grandmaster first...." Shay muttered. "Fine, I'll go."  
"Did ah just underestimate your sense of duty, Shay?" Mary laughed. "Holy hell."  
Evie boxed her arm. "Hell is not holy."  
"Ah, well." Shay closed his eyes and swallowed the contents of the vial.  
"You have perfected the art of swallowing, I swear it." Desmond said. "Seriously, you Irish and drinks."  
"Shay, I apologize, but you must get moving." Shaun got behind him and pressed his shoulder into Shay's back, trying to force him to go into the vortex.  
"Now what's this fellow's name?" Shay asked, not moving an inch.  
"Alright, Shaun, we're going to a gym after this. Shay, you're memory's already slipping. Step into the blue, please." Rebecca commanded.  
"The color shoulda been green, if you ask me." He said, then vanished into the vortex.  
"There he goes." Haytham sounded sad.  
Ziio out a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're next."  
"But-"  
"It... is...kind of reasonable." Aveline said. "I mean, right now, we can all soldier up on you. One against all of us."  
"Two against all of you." Ziio said quietly.  
Connor choked. "Mother....?!"  
"Alright, you louts. I'm going with Jacob." Evie declared. She grabbed her brothers arm. "We do this as brother and sister."  
"Fine by me."  
"Um.... can they do that?" Desmond asked.  
"Just let them." Shaun said dismissively.  
"One... two.. three." Jacob counted off.  
The twins threw aside their vials and barreled through the blue vortex.  
"No last words." Altaïr noted.  
"I'll go next. I miss the 1700's, much as it's been good here." Aveline said. She raised her vial to the light. "Sure it tastes like oranges?"  
"Damn it, stop saying that. Curiosity is going to get the best of me." Arno eyed his vial.  
"On the count of nothing, here I go." She swallowed the serum and stepped up to the vortex. "You're sure it'll take me home."  
"Of course. It'll been tested on the last five people." John dodged Desmond's punch and laughed. "It'll be fine."  
"Alright then..." Aveline turned and communicated with Connor with their language, then stepped into the vortex.  
"What was that all about?" Altaïr asked.  
Connor shrugged. "She told me to be nice to my parents."  
"Right, and if that happens, I'll eat my hat." Haytham said irritably.  
Connor raised the orange vial to his lips and drained it, then threw it aside, hugged his father (No longer than five seconds.) then marched boldly into the vortex.  
"Did he just-" Haytham began.  
"Start eating." Arno lifted both eyebrows and pursed his lips, nodding.  
"I miss the open seas." Anne murmured. "It's not that bad, is it?"  
"Not from what we've seen." Ziio said.  
"Then I'm going. Are you coming, Mary?"  
"Aye. We'll go together."  
They fist bumped (William glared at his son for this.) and drained their vial, then turned and walked backwards into the vortex, waving goodbyes at the Assassins and Templar.  
"I'm not sure I want to go back." Arno contemplated. "But I miss Elise...."  
"Well, she's waiting for you." William said. There's only four of you left."  
Arno groaned. "Damn."  
He tilted his head back and downed the vial, then dropped it and stumbled back, scraping his tongue with his fingers. "Ugh! It tastes like that medacine Father used to give me!"  
"The stuff that supposedly worked miracles? I thought that was just honey mixed with something else." Haytham said.  
"Well, the majority of the formula is honey. And oranges." Shaun declared matter-of-factly.  
"Forget it. I'm going." Arno stepped toward the vortex. "Viva la France." He whispered.  
Then he was gone.  
"Down to the final three." Rebecca nodded to them. "A Templar, an Assassin, and... well, an Assassin, I guess."  
"Unofficial." Ziio corrected. "They are allies."  
"So I am the enemy." Haytham sounded rejected.  
"Not entirely." Ziio turned and kissed him.  
"Do you have to do that here?! Templars and Assassins should never mix like that!" Altaïr panicked.  
"Yes." Ziio drew back from a stunned Haytham. "How else would Connor have been born?"  
"You'd be suprised, Altaïr. I mean, so suprised you'd shit bricks." Desmond laughed.  
"Ow." William said pointedly. "So who's next?"  
"Can Ziio and I go together?" Haytham asked hopefully.  
"Go ahead. Just don't drink the wrong serum vial or it'll send you to the wrong place." Rebecca instructed. "Make sure the label has your name on it."  
"Haytham Kenway." The Grandmaster confirmed. "You, Ziio?"  
"I have mine." She grinned at him. "You're not getting the rest of my name."  
"Just go. Betrayer." Altaïr moaned. "Can't trust any of the Assassins, can I?"  
"Quit your whining." Ziio said, as they walked through the blue vortex.  
"And then there was one." Desmond looked at Altaïr. "You gonna go?"  
"Will we meet again?" Altaïr asked the modern day Assassins.  
"Maybe." William nodded. "But for now, goodbye."  
Altaïr nodded and sipped the vial till it was empty.  
He walked to the vortex and looked at Desmond. "Ma'salami."  
"Goodbye in Arabic! I knew it!" Shaun had just won a bet with Rebecca on whether or not he was pronouncing it right. He was now owed one dollar.  
Altaïr nodded. "Nothing is True, Everything is Permitted..."  
Then he disappeared.

***  
"Well." Shaun said. "What now?"  
"Gym first." Rebecca told him. "You're lifting weights for the next hour, Shaun."  
"Alright, we gotta shut this thing down and go home. I'm tired." William sighed.  
"I just need an expresso. Or a Red Bull. Or both." John smiled. "What to choose from?"  
Desmond wondered away from his father and turned on his phone (It wasn't shattered, like Edward had said. It was cracked down the screen.) and flipped through the pictures until he reached the one of his ancestors lined up on the rooftop.  
He smiled and made it his wallpaper.


	65. Chapter 65

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IcedFireFrenzy; You guessed it ;)  
> dinasaurs_wowenough (loki_godofmischiefandlies); Aw, don't worry. There should be a second one coming up soon with the other characters (I'm kicking myself for leaving Ade out)  
> PoisonHw; It got quite long- the next one might be longer, because it'll include all the level-headed folks and they'll want to know EVERYTHING.

Edward sat up and stretched. Something was off. More than just the quiet night and the peaceful sound of waves crashing against the shore.  
He cursed, then his eyes fell on an empty bottle of rum and he cursed again. But he didn't feel drunk or hung over.  
And was it just him, or were images of a man- no, two, a father and son (he just knew.)- flitting on the edges of his conciousness.  
Something told him he had to check with that pretty maid in Nassau.....  
Maybe write a letter of apology to Caroline if it turned out she was pregnant. Buuuuut. He looked at the rum bottle again and shook his head. No. He had just had an odd dream, was all. Just shaking off whatever drunken haze he'd put himself in.  
He shrugged and went back to sleep.

***  
Haytham sat up, breathing hard.  
The room was quiet, and somehow- must have been a miracle- he had fallen asleep on the uncomfortable bed in the inn.  
But...  
He frowned, feeling like somethingnwas definately wrong. Almost nostaglic, though. Like something good had happened. Something involving people he had lost a long time ago.  
Haytham lay back against the bed and tried to think. Aside from the urge to call Shay 'Shamrock' for no good reason, he felt fine. Maybe he'd even try the Shamrock thing.  
He eventually came up with nothing and fell asleep.

***  
Connor panicked.  
He gave a suprised yell and promptly fell out of the tree, landing with a thump on his back.  
He stared up at the night sky, wracking his brains. Something was off.... he felt like he'd just done something insane... as in hugging his father insane...but he didn't know what.  
But he didn't have much time to dwell on it.  
Before long, the triumphant shouts of British soldiers and the barking of their dogs met his ears and he took to the trees again, disappearing into the night.

***  
Mary sat up blearily rubbed her eyes. Oh, hell. She felt hung over.  
A quick glance at the dying beach fire, (Empty, they weren't dandies) bottles of rum, and the slumped forms of Calico, Blackbeard, and Hornigold told her so.  
It was odd, but she felt like she'd tasted something... she sighed, focusing on the taste in her mouth. Pinapples? No. Not bananas either. Oranges.  
Hm.  
She rubbed her forehead, wondering if it was worth another bottle of rum. She swiped a half empty one from Hornigold, still clutched in his hand, and drank from it.  
It didn't shake loose the memories she guessed were just on the edges of her conciousness.

***  
Ziio opened her eyes.  
Looked around.  
Ratonhnhaké:ton lay beside her, curled up. Hadn't she told the little boy to go to his own bed?  
She frowned. She felt the same way she always did when she kissed Haytham. Good. But she hadn't seen him in... a while. A long while.  
Something was tugging at her mind. A name.  
Charles....  
Charles what?  
She looked at her son, sound asleep. She whispered that she loved him and lay back. Mysterious Charles and Haytham could wait.  
Ziio had to focus on keeping Ratonhnhaké:ton out of the Templar Order as he grew.

***  
Aveline sat up, her hands up, her Hidden Blade engaged.  
She was outside in the forest (She liked the peace and quiet and had been on her way to Connor.), but there were no soliders or animals.  
It was almost too quiet.  
She felt like something important had just happened, and some strange pictures of different people in weird clothes, including Connor, were flashing randomly through her mind. But she couldn't really make out anything else.  
She wondered....  
But, either way, Aveline didn't much care for whatever forgotten dream she had just had.  
She needed to get to Connor.

***  
Jacob groaned. He had fucked up this time. Surely he was so drunk he was...  
Wait.  
Wasn't he supposed to be hung over?  
He blinked and looked around clearly at the docks, watching the steamers roll over the river. No one in the Frye family recovered easily from a night of heavy drinking and... er, partying, but this was just insane.  
He felt a funny dislike for the Assassin Edward Kenway. The man who supposedly aided the rebuilding of the Assassin Order in the West Indies and Wales. Apparently the guy was a dick.  
But how was he supposed to know? Edward died more than a hundred years ago.  
Now that was the fucked up part.  
He sighed and stood up. No weaving or upchucking or terrible headache.  
Maybe.... a sober thought tugged his mind... maybe he had developed an immunity to alcohol!

***  
Evie awoke with a start from where she was huddled on the rooftops. She had been searching for Jacob only a few hours before... but for some reason it felt like she had been searching a week ago. She even felt like she'd found him.  
But no, Evie hadn't and she intended to kill him for it. But there were weird thoughts going through her head.  
Thoughts such as 'Maybe Templars aren't that bad'.  
Hm. And a sudden desire to meet the Templars Shay Cormac and Haytham Kenway. Maybe she'd head to the Assassin archives with Henry and look them up.  
After she wrung Jacob's drunken neck.

***  
Ezio rolled over and sat up. He stood and stretched, then dressed and walked around Firenze for a while. It was quiet, but a few late-night peddlers were out, shouting about their low prices for goods like medacine and armor.  
But tonight, he ignored them.  
Tonight he wanted oranges and an Irish woman.  
The images of her- he couldn't place her name- flitted through his mind when he least expected. But she was always dressed in odd clothes.  
He took to the rooftops. No one really sold oranges. He'd have to find the orchards.  
The Irishwoman remained fixed in his mind for quite some time.

***  
Anne straightened and stood. She had just woken up from an hour's nap at the beach, overlooking the other four- Blackbeard, Hornigold, Calico, and Mary- drinking. Edward had stumbled off to the Jackdaw at some point, and Adewalé now walked along the beach, holding up some water where she could see it.  
When he drew near, she hopped down and accepted some water, ignoring the feeling that she'd seen someone...  
"Have you seen the Sage recently?"  
Adewalé frowned. "I haven't. Any problem?"  
"No.... never mind."  
She didn't want to tell anyone about the odd contraptions she felt she had seen. And for some reason she felt like saying Animus.  
And finding an Italian fellow.  
She couldn't shake the image of a laughing man with dark hair and gold eyes from her mind.  
But she never remembered his name.  
Or why he was in strange clothes.

***  
Shay pushed himself to his feet, drew his cutlass, cleaned it, then paced the little patch of dirt and grass he'd found to keep watch over the Morrigan. The moon was high in the sky and full, shining down on him and turning everything to silver.  
He felt horrible.  
Not sick-horrible, or drunk-horrible, but... like he'd committed treason to the Templar Order.  
It was almost humorous.  
He paused, tapped his foot, swore, then stopped tapping his foot and set to pacing again. For some reason he felt nervous to even look at any drinks with bubbles in them and was utterly protective of his scar.  
Shay finally threw himself on his back and forced himself to stop being so restless.  
But he felt like he'd seen something of Haytham he wasn't supposed to see. Some kind of emotion. And...  
He hated to admit this....  
But now that he thought about it, whatever lost dream he'd had about Assassins made his mind yearn for the Creed again.  
But it was evil and would stay that way to Shay Cormac.  
Oh, and why did he suddenly hate the name Shamrock?

***  
Arno sighed and rolled over.  
Then he rolled over again in the bed. But now he couldn't sleep. He was awake, and whatever had woken him up was eluding him.  
Arno wondered why, but he felt vengeful, and he had a name in his mind. Shamrock.  
Shamrock?  
Well, less of a name, more of an Irish nickname.  
Shamrock was linked to his father in some way. He ran through his memories. Then froze. Whatever dream he had just had was long lost, but for some reason he remembered being worried he was drunk in front of Elise.  
Either way, he could assure himself that wasn't happening. He most certainly was not drunk.  
But still, that name, Shamrock....

***  
Altaïr sat up and clenched his fists. He had the taste of oranges in his mouth- Big whoop, he hated oranges- and an odd feeling of seeing ice (So cold!) for the first time.  
Flashes of memories kept popping into his head, but he never held them longer than one moment. Images of people in odd clothes and people with funny accents and...  
Templars.  
He knew for certain two were Templars... He forced himself to think... one had an Arabic name.  
But he couldn't think about this for very long. Maybe he'd dream about it again.  
He had a mission with Malik and Kadar tomorrow.  
One that involved the underground and Robert, and proving once again how much better he was then both of them.

***  
Desmond stood outside of the Abstergo building for a while- Hey, Templars! Look at me! Can't do shit about it!- once everyone else had left,'after repeated warnings from his dad not to push it in case they got grabby.  
He looked up and studied the building.  
Abstergo would do this again. No doubt about it. Vidic and his men were desperate enough to have answers; Nothing stopped them from at least trying.  
And next time, he'd be ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to see a particular Assassin or Templar, just let me know :) Here's the list so far:  
> Adewalé  
> Shao Jun  
> Liam  
> Hope  
> Malik  
> Henry Green  
> Maria Thorpe  
> Thomas Hickey  
> Élise  
> Leonardo Da Vinci


End file.
